Links
by uncreative pseudonym
Summary: Something pulls the Links from every universe into the Sacred Realm. Unless they can fight together against a new threat the fabric of the Legend itself may be destroyed. Together they form a team of idealists, cynics, villains, and heroes yet to be...
1. The Hero Steps Out

There is a fairly brief author's note following this chapter. Barring some sort of calamity on my end, I will be uploading a new chapter every other week.

- - - - -

Prologue: The Hero Steps Out

Scattered across time, a thousand boys take up swords against evil, forging a legend. Each story has its own world, its own evils, its own challenges. But all of them have a Link. A hero who from the moment of his birth was fated to save their world. This thread winds its way through every possible reality, every Hyrule, every world that needs a hero.

But destiny only extends so far. Eventually the story ends, leaving the heroes to complete their time upon the mortal coil. Most adapt easily to peaceful life, some search for new adventures. At the end of a story, however, the hero's work is done.

Unless something interferes.

* * *

Faint music floated down the cliff, winding its way around rocks and protruding branches. The haunting melody curled over dusty paths, slowly approaching the gates of Hyrule City. Even in the bustling crowds the people could hear the music, quiet notes cutting through the general hubbub. Some of the older Hylians smiled and went about their business, though the younger looked around for the source of the music. Most would never find it, though a few would look over the walls, toward Hyrule Castle, and the cliff beside it. 

If they looked carefully enough, they might see a figure by the edge of the cliff. Many days he would be calmly sitting on the rock, playing a melody so beautiful that it softened even the hardest of eyes. It was so rare to see him playing that it was almost a local legend; everyone had to believe the legend itself, of course, but to catch a glimpse of one who had lived through the actual events...

Slowly Link pulled the ocarina from his mouth. He glanced down at it wistfully, running his hands over the smooth blue surface, fingering the golden Triforce icon briefly. How often did he get a chance to sit here alone, to relax for just a moment?

Beginning another song, Link played as he simply gazed out over the cliff, over the waters that separated Hyrule from the rest of the world. They lapped against the rocks below, softly, it seemed to him. Out here it was peaceful, quiet. If they would let him just live, he would have been happy. But such things were not allowed him. He was the Hero of Time, after all.

It was his job, and he enjoyed it. Had he been allowed to continue his life from before, trekking across the land and fighting monsters, he would have been happy. But such was almost unread of, these days. Not after going back in time. Instead he played his role as hero through endless political drudgeries.

There were only two shelters from this new world. The first was here, outside of the castle, and the second was on the training grounds. Two places where he could truly be himself, without what everyone else required of him.

Not that he was going to complain about his life. No, he was far too old to complain. Link smiled somewhat thoughtfully, pausing his tune to close his eyes and just feel the breeze through his hair. Old. He wasn't old yet. Barely over twenty in physical years; young enough that the elder Hylians still considered him a child. But it wasn't possible to go through the ordeal of a battle for the entire world, to traverse time, to see all of Hyrule cloaked in darkness without growing much older than one had any right to be.

Again Link played, losing himself in the music. It would not be long before something else required his presence again. Of that much he was certain. Lately he had been feeling apprehensive, sensing something that he couldn't quite define but knew was coming. Forgetting about such things, Link brought the music to a lingering end.

"I still love that song."

Glancing to his left, Link saw Zelda sitting on a nearby rock, just watching him. He smiled slightly at her and replaced the Ocarina of Time in a pouch at his side. Closing her eyes, Zelda seemed to lose track of time for a moment.

"It isn't quite like the lullaby that Impa used to play for me," she reflected. "You added your own flavor to it, made it a real masterpiece."

"I had good material," Link answered, though the end of his sentence drifted into a sigh. "I suppose there is something I have to do now?"

"Not this time," Zelda shook her head slightly. "I just wanted to join you out here."

"Ah." Link nodded and glanced out to the horizon again.

"Though I did have something I wanted to talk about." Link glanced to Zelda to find her frowning thoughtfully toward the sky. "You've felt it, haven't you? A climate of evil descending upon this realm..."

"Yes." Link absentmindedly fingered the hilt of the sword at his back. "It doesn't feel the same, though. There's something that doesn't feel like it's from Hyrule... not even from this world. I get the feeling that whatever is coming will be of far greater stakes."

"That's a good way to define it," Zelda agreed softly. "I know what you mean; it's just hard to explain it."

Abruptly both their heads snapped around, glancing toward the source of a disturbance that echoed in their souls. They looked just in time to see a sphere of darkness expanding, beginning to eclipse the sky, overlapping all of Hyrule and approaching at a rapid rate. Instinctively Link rose to his feet in front of Zelda. His blade was flashing in the sun and his other hand rested just over his heart.

Swiftly the sphere blew past them, and Zelda had to brace herself against what felt like a bitterly cold wind. When it passed, however, she discovered that she was fine, and the warmth of the sun overhead had returned. Nothing seemed damaged, there was no evil presence, everything was exactly the same... but Link was gone.

* * *

The door to the pub smashed open, banging against the wall. Two bulky men crowded through the entrance, ducking under the doorframe, and noisily made their way toward the bar. A group of Hylians sitting around a table glanced up from their cards; a few drunks near a corner looked at them confusedly; most of the patrons turned to them with vaguely surprised expressions; the bartender set down the cup he was drying and sighed. Only one man failed to react, sleeping in a drunken stupor at the end of the bar. 

"Give me a Goron Rockbuster," the first of the men growled.

"Same here." The other slapped his hand on the bar conspicuously.

"Got cash?" The bartender didn't blink at the men towering over him.

"Course I do!" the man growled, as if suggesting such a thing was the height of absurdity. He slammed down a few glittering rupees. "Snap to it, ya lazy bastard."

"That's a strong drink," the bartender commented, filling a large mug carefully. "Take it slowly."

"Strong? This ain't strong!" the second of the men guffawed. Taking his mug, he took a swig and smirked toward the bartender. The next moment he made a slight choking sound and steadied himself on the bar with one hand. His face turned bright red, but no sounds came from his mouth. Eventually he wheezed, "Not... strong at... all."

"Now who's this bum?" the other demanded. "Get him outta my seat."

"I don't have any bums in my establishment," the bartender answered quickly, "or at least I didn't. Who are you talking about?"

"No bums, eh? Then who's the damn fool slumped at the end of the bar?" He thrust a thick finger at the slumped figure in the plain brown tunic. Immediately the bartender turned back to another glass, swiftly drying it and not looking up at the two giants before the bar.

"I suggest you find other seats, gentlemen," he said softly.

"Like hell I'll find another seat!"

"We always take the corner!" the other man asserted gruffly.

"Some fool in a working man's tunic with a rusty old sword is gonna take our place?"

"Keep quiet," the bartender snapped. "You can respect the rules or I'll have to order you out."

"Who's gonna stop us?" one of the burly men sneered. "You?"

"This guy ticks me off," the other rumbled. He stomped across the length of the bar toward the figure that remained slumped on the barstool. Reaching him, he slammed a fist down into the counter beside him loudly. "Get up and move!"

"Be quiet," the figure mumbled, not opening his eyes.

"I'll show you quiet!" the giant Hylian roared. Pulling a large sword from his back, he raised it into the air amid noises of mild surprise from the entire bar. Before anyone could stop him, the man swung his blade down, aiming to sever the offender's head from his body.

At that moment the slumped body moved, jerking up from its slumped position. As the blade swung down he smashed the back of his hand into the flat of the blade, sending it skidding. Before the larger man could even look startled, his nose and a fist combined in a disturbing crack. He flew through the air, crashing over a chair and collapsing to the floor.

Leaning back against the bar, the mysterious patron glanced down at the fallen man. With a slightly sleepy nod he got to his feet and moved down the bar. Walking beside the other brute, he found the unconscious man's drink, took a long stick out of his mouth and downed it all in one go. He set the mug down heavily in front of the bartender and returned the stick to his mouth.

"I'll clean up in a sec," he muttered. "Put the chair on my tab."

"Hey, little man," a voice rumbled over his shoulder. He turned to look disinterestedly. "I don't like it when people hit my friends."

"I don't like it when people lack basic hygiene," the man answered without turning. For a moment the brute made a choking noise, then he slammed a fist into the other's back, aiming to smash him into the bar. Instead, the slender man merely staggered and then grinned over his shoulder lopsidedly. Gasping in pain, the huge man held his shaking hand, his knuckles bleeding.

"Now, in retrospect, that was a pretty stupid idea, wasn't it?" the man asked dryly, working his stick to the other side of his mouth.

"What's your damn back made out of?"

"Magically enhanced mail, at the moment."

By the time the smaller man had turned from the counter his sword was drawn, pommel glancing across the other man's forehead. Before the body had completely fallen the sword was back in its sheath. As the brute dropped to the ground, the bar's patron calmly dragged him and the other man out the door, then hurled them into the street like they weighed almost nothing.

He returned to the bar moments later and sat down by the bartender, first drinking the remaining Goron Rockbuster. The bartender just nodded to him.

"Thanks, Link."

"Not a problem," Link shrugged. His eyes seemed surprisingly clear and focused. "Some people just need to be reminded they're overcompensating for something. Do I have anything left on my tab?"

"I'll consider your bouncer action as payment for the chair," the bartender answered. "See you around."

"Yeah, I'll be here opening time tomorrow." Link took a few steps away from the bar before a black wave swept across the room. Everyone in the bar shuddered collectively and when they looked again Link was gone like he'd never existed. There was an extremely long silence as everyone glanced at each other, eyes shifting. Eventually the bartender picked up another glass and expressed the feelings of everyone.

"Well... crap."

* * *

Whistling softly, Link strolled across the lawn toward the door of the small cottage. Again, moving across the soft grass, he marveled at how light he felt. Almost like he would float away. Even several years after, he still wasn't quite used to it. 

No longer did he have a heavy shield and a sword on his back. No longer did he carry large pouches of seeds. There was no more need to wear a combat-fit tunic. He'd kept it anyway, though, more comfortable in it than anything else. But without so much equipment constantly on his person he felt as light as air.

Entering the door quietly, Link set the sack of firewood he was carrying next to the fireplace and hung his hood up on a hook. Stretching with a short yawn, he breathed in the air around him. Something smelled especially good today. As he wandered into the kitchen he discovered the something was on the stove, being stirred by his wife as she hummed softly to herself. Creeping across the floor noiselessly, he slid his arms around her from behind.

"Welcome home, Link," she responded calmly, quite used to his lurking.

"Hello, Din," he greeted her warmly. "How was your day?"

"The usual," she responded, gracefully turning and embracing him fully. "How about you?"

"Nothing that amazing. I had to travel half-way across the country to find everything I needed, but it wasn't too much of a problem. It's just good to be home."

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes or so."

"That was nice of you."

"Longer if you don't let go of me."

"Nah, not enough motivation."

Laughing softly, she kissed him. He readily responded and they remained there for a quiet eternity. Closing his eyes, Link just lived in the moment, holding her close to him, tangling a hand in her long red hair. Abruptly Din's eyes opened and she pushed away slightly.

"...something!" she gasped. Instantly Link's face was serious, eyes narrow.

"What?"

"I'm not sure what it is, but it's coming this way quickly!"

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Link moved toward his sword resting by the door. His hand was almost touching it when a black wave broke through the entire house, sweeping over them and dropping the temperature dramatically. Din summoned a warmer wind even as she opened her eyes. Her husband was nowhere to be seen.

Putting a hand to her head to focus, Din felt for his familiar presence. It was nowhere. Wherever he had been taken, it was beyond her reach, beyond all elements or seasons. So far away...

* * *

Stepping out onto the balcony, Zelda shivered slightly as a cool breeze blew past her. It was such a lovely morning. Moving to the edge, the princess of Hyrule swept her gaze over the courtyards below. At this early hour, there were no people, no troublesome problems, no petty meetings. This was what Hyrule was meant to be... an unbroken land of peacefulness. A slight smile appeared on Zelda's face. 

"Nice view, princess... especially from up here."

There went the smile, and the mood, and the morning.

"Dammit, Link! Get a new script writer and stop leering at me!" she snapped upward. Whirling huffily, Zelda vanished from the balcony. One of these days she'd remember that Link lived in the Triforce tower above her and loved nothing more than to ogle her from that vantage point. Eventually she'd get used to it and put on more than a shift...

Chuckling to himself, Link stepped back from the edge of his own balcony. She'd never learn, and he'd keep capitalizing on the fact until she did. Turning and moving into his own room, Link stretched and glanced about it briefly. Boring, as usual. In the center of the tower the Triforce glowed just slightly, soft blue light dim in the morning sun.

"'ello, Triforce," Link muttered as he walked past it toward his bed. "Stupid triangle."

As usual, it did not answer. He was glad it didn't, as he wasn't in the mood for cryptic rhymes right now. How odd it was, being imprisoned by a blue triangle resting atop a pedestal. Sure, it was his job to protect it, but couldn't it get out of the house from time to time?

Sitting back on the bed, Link idly threw his pillow at the triangle, knocking it off the edge. Worthless thing. How much would it matter if anyone evil got their hands on it, anyway? Getting up, he retrieved his pillow and set the Triforce back in its place, grumbling continually. He could see a few uses for it... but it was hardly terrifying power. It didn't feel quite right for something like that to be the Triforce.

There was no way he could get back to sleep now, not after seeing Zelda. Might as well get to "work." Going to a wall, Link strapped on his shield and sword, considered his bow and other items, but decided to leave them. Equipped. Not like it really mattered.

Opening the large wooden door to his room, Link began walking down the stairs. He got a fair distance before a squeaking voice drove him to a halt.

"Stop right there, buster!" Sprite growled, as best a fairy could. Rolling his eyes and folding his arms, Link let the floating fairy stop him. "What do you think you're doing? Someone has to protect the Triforce!"

"Sure someone does," Link answered. "Seriously, though, it doesn't matter. Maybe Ganon would try to steal it again... big whoop. Maybe some monster could attack... they've never beaten me before, have they? Maybe some- what is that coming this way?"

Sprite, despite her better judgment, turned just slightly. In an instant Link was sprinting down the stairs, laughing maniacally.

"Hey!"

"Get over it!" he called back. "What's the worst that could happen?"

A wave of darkness swept past the tower, momentarily quenching Sprite's light. When she returned to her normal state, Link was gone from the stairs as if he had never existed.

"That stupid boy," Sprite muttered, fluttering after him. "Did he actually jump off the side of the tower?"

Picking up speed, Sprite continued down the spiraling stairs at a rapid rate. She'd catch up to him eventually. It was some time later that she met Zelda on her way up the stairs. Both of them stared at each other for a moment, glanced over the side of the tower, then sighed heavily. This couldn't be good.

* * *

"Bad storm, eh Link?" 

Glancing down from the rigging toward the head of the boat, Link merely grunted. Speaking was somewhat difficult when one was handling the entire yard, hoisting a sail by oneself, and adjusting several ropes at once. Finishing his task, Link slid down one rope toward the ship, ignoring the burn on his skin.

Stepping to the front of the small vessel, Link put one hand to the masthead and glanced forward. Lightning flashed darkly, waves lapped up over the deck with massive force. Ahead of them, a solid downpour of rain loomed.

"A terrible storm it is."

"The sea is angry," the boat told him sagely. "Something is not right, and the powers far beneath the sea have become enraged. Their wrath thunders over the heavens."

"Do you know why?" Link asked, tying one of the ropes to a ring at the side of the ship. "Does it concern me or the village?"

"Nay, lad. It is far greater... something much deeper into reality."

"Ah. It's not my problem, then. Right now we should focus on riding out this storm."

"We must focus on one thing at a time, yes," the boat answered him. Whatever else it said was cut off by a particularly vicious and dark wave that crashed over the ship. When it had passed, the ship determined that it had not taken on too much water and continued. "But you should perhaps be concerned with greater things."

There was only silence in response. Straining to look behind it, the ship waited for a hand to guide it further. Nothing followed. "Link? ...Link? Link!"

* * *

An unnatural calm seemed to rest over the clearing, an aura of reverence that could not be broken. Dozens of trees surrounded the small space, each gnarled and ancient. They all seemed to bow toward the center of the clearing in respect. 

Unassumingly the stone sat, moving as little as it had for centuries. Grass was growing all around it, thick and lush, as if the clearing had been forgotten. But the stone itself was clean and unmarred, only slightly worn by time, proving that it had been well kept. Time had done nothing to wear away the inscription carved deep within the rock:

_Link_

_Hero of Hyrule_

_May he rest in peace_

There was silence for time immeasurable, for little changed in the small clearing. Abruptly a terrible force tore through it, making the trees tremble as if from a powerful wind. When the disturbance had passed, the clearing returned to as it had been before. But now the ground before the tombstone was torn away, leaving a gaping hole. Within the hole there was absolutely nothing.

* * *

Frantically the fairy beat its wings, trying to escape. What it was escaping from it could not fully understand, but it knew that time was running out. Buzzing forward as fast as possible, it darted around a rocky outcropping and continued speeding low over the rocky ruins. Ever since it had arrived here it had felt something... and now that something had vanished completely. 

Finally it saw light, grass, something other than these dark ruins and shadowy clouds. With a burst of joyous speed it flew over the ground toward the freedom the simple grass and trees offered. Almost there, the fairy gave a slight cry and rose into the air, flying free...

A white glove closed around it firmly, crushing its wings almost instantly. Vainly it struggled against the light fingers and found itself completely helpless. It was lifted before a shadowed face, split in a gleaming smile. The instant the small being's eyes met that smile the broken wings ceased their fluttering.

White boots. Tight grey leggings. Colorless Kokiri tunic. Long white hood. Pointed ears. Grey eyes. Terrible grey eyes. Shuddering, the fairy winched its eyes closed in an effort to keep away from the horrors that it saw within.

"You are becoming almost disappointing," the being murmured down at the tiny creature in his hand. "There are so few challenges any longer. Once the Gorons fell no one has showed any spine. No one except him, but you obviously know nothing of that."

As he spoke, the monster slowly ripped away each of the fairy's wings, making it scream in pain. Dropping the bloody parts to the ground, the light figure began slowly tightening his hand, snapping the fairy's bones ever so slowly. The line that served for a mouth twisted slightly. Loosening his grip, he let his victim writhe in pain.

"You'll pay for all this, Link," the fairy cried. "Some day..."

"Will I?" Link's grin twisted further, his eyes gleaming with a cold light. Abruptly all cruelty vanished beneath the surface of his face as he glanced to the side. After a moment of watching with narrow eyes he tossed the fairy's dying body aside.

"A strange madness," he eventually muttered. "Very well." Snapping his fingers, he waited impatiently as a skeleton approached him from the shadows behind him. The creature moved to one knee immediately and Link turned to stare down upon it.

"My lord?"

"Get all my equipment. I will be going away for a short time."

"Why, my lord?"

"It is not my will. I assure you, whoever is responsible will suffer for their offense. Now hurry."

Bowing a final time, the creature moved back into darkness. In a few minutes it returned, carrying a large amount of equipment. It staggered under the weight as Link swiftly gathered his weapons about him. Strapping on the final item, an ornate white sheath, he stiffened his limbs and waited.

A sphere of darkness swept past him, leaving the Stalfos alone in the ruins. The last the undead eyes had seen of its master was the beginning of a laugh.

* * *

Rock eroded. Water cycled from the ground to the sky. Winds circled the globe. The earth itself trembled just slightly as tectonic plate shifted. Light and darkness danced as the sun crawled across the sky. Men and beasts lived and died and returned to the elements. 

The world did not touch the dark figure atop the cliff. His silvery-blond hair did not stir in the wind, nor would light or shadow dare to approach him. None of the creatures moving on the surface of the planet could draw his gaze from the distance, piercing above a dark cloth drawn over the lower half of his face. A black tunic covered all of his body, nearly absorbing the shadowy sheath upon his back.

When the sphere of darkness swept through his being he did not blink. After a long moment his eyes shifted to watch it expand until it faded from the world. The blue eyes moved down to the earth below, seeing beyond it. As they rose something changed, a shimmer of an emotion like an old friend returning after a long absence.

Then there were only shadows.

* * *

The man leapt high, narrowly avoiding the monster speeding for his feet. In midair he changed directions, barely landing on the edge of the narrow platform. Immediately he jumped again, crossing the chasm falling away endlessly beneath him. Upon landing he was instantly forced to jump over another enemy. Now the hard part. 

Sharp edges whistled through the air around him as he simultaneously leapt over a slicing blade and ducked to avoid the spikes covering the ceiling. Kicking off the ground, he hurriedly jumped again, narrowly avoiding the fireballs shooting from the lava beneath him. He landed on the edge of the conveyor belt and pushed forward, hoping another fireball wouldn't form before-

"Link!"

"Gyah!" Immediately the man slipped backward, dropping off the conveyor belt and into the lava. Flashing brilliantly, he vanished into the air. At the same moment a large red crystal struck the floor and clattered to rest. Grumbling, Link reached to pick it up. "Aw, Mom... I almost had it that time!"

"I've called you several times," his mother told him crossly, standing in the doorway of his room with her arms folded. "Couldn't you hear me?"

"Erm..." Link scratched the back of his head nervously. "I guess I was kind of involved with the game."

"Yes, you were." His mother shook her head. "We should never have bought you that fool thing. Anyway, I need you to go downtown and pick up some meat for dinner. We just ran out today."

Link pulled himself to his feet, making the unbelievable amount of energy this required quite obvious. Snorting dismissively, his mother vanished down the stairs. Moving to the crystal screen at one end of his room, Link tapped the rune that controlled the magic power outlet to the machine. The words "Game Over" faded away as he picked up the controlling crystal and set it carefully beside the screen. New combinations of magic and technology were always terribly finicky; he couldn't afford to lose the system a few weeks after he bought it.

After adjusting his pants and t-tunic in his mirror, Link thumped down the stairs. His mother was in the kitchen, working with the rest of dinner. Seeing him, she stopped and began rooting through a leather pouch at her side.

"This should do," she told him, handing him several light red bills. "Meat shouldn't cost more than two twenties."

"Yeah, whatever," Link yawned, taking the money and depositing it in a pocket. The youth was soon gone, leaving the door clapping closed loudly behind him. Rolling her eyes, his mother sighed and went back about her work. Teenagers.

Outside, Link continued on, glancing about randomly at the city around him. Absolutely nothing was happening, which was basically head-line news around here. If he had the choice, he'd stay inside as long as possible. How dare she tell him to run an errand? For crying out loud, it was summer; if he didn't have to go to school he didn't want to leave the house.

A horse blew past Link on the street, running dangerously close.

"Watch where you're going!" Link yelled after him, knowing his words probably wouldn't reach their destination. Stupid rich jerks. They could afford to buy horses and go joyriding; they'd probably just get bailed out by their rich parents if the City Knights caught them.

"Where are you going, punk?"

Hearing the voice, Link froze. Fearfully he turned to see the exact person he did not want to see walking toward him. The much larger youth was sneering at him, several of his meat-headed buddies strolling along with him. Not good.

"Still hoping the big and ugly look will come back into style?" Link asked, smirking at the direction of his larger classmate. Growling, the older boy rushed forward, grabbing him by his collar and lifting him off the ground.

"You trying to pick a fight, Link?"

"No, not really," he answered, doing his best not to seem nervous.

"That's good, because I'd wipe the floor with your ass." He gave a sneer that was unpleasant even by sneer standards. "The only way a scrawny little punk like you could take me down is with magic and- oh! Guess who got a D in Intermediate Magic last year?"

"At least I know that two divided by seven isn't fourteen!" Link choked back. "Were you in a sophomore math last year? Were you even in remedial math?"

Rauru's face was inventing new colors on the lower end of the spectrum, making Link realize that he might have gone too far. The meaty boy raised a large fist behind him, aiming to bash it directly into Link's teeth. His hand began moving, when suddenly a wall of shadow and a freezing chill swept past the entire group.

Suddenly Link was falling. He couldn't completely describe what he felt, as if it was just beyond his comprehension, or in a direction he couldn't fathom. Instead of falling toward the ground, he fell backward endlessly. There was nothing to stop him, nothing he could catch, nothing but a drop through fathomless white space. It extended on and on and – Link winched his eyes shut to try and keep out the blankness...

But then he was standing on something. Opening his eyes, Link discovered he was looking into a thick wall of vegetation. Slowly he turned around himself, finding that he was in a cluster of tall, old trees. Green leaves formed a tight canopy over his head, letting only small shafts of sunlight through.

"What the hell is going on?" he muttered, putting a hand to his head. Moving to a tree, he kicked it with his shoe and succeeded in hurting his foot. Okay, that had been a bad idea. These things were all real, then, not an illusion.

Why was he here, then? He knew there was teleportation magic, but it hadn't felt anything like magic. Then again, his larger friend hadn't been lying: he sucked at the subject. And where would there be with so many trees? Almost all of them had been used in factories, if he remembered his history correctly. Sleeping during class didn't help his memory any.

More importantly, why would anyone have teleported him anywhere? He wasn't complaining about avoiding the blow that had been sure to come. Still, at the moment he was just standing in a bunch of trees, feeling rather stupid. No one appeared to explain what was going on and he felt like the universe let him down somehow.

Sighing, Link moved forward through the gaps in the trees. Might as well start exploring and find out where he was. It was slow going through the forest as the ground was covered in roots, but he made himself keep walking. Up ahead he abruptly saw firelight and he had to force himself not to rush toward it.

Moving carefully atop the roots, Link made his way toward the flame. It was farther away than he had thought, but he still reached it relatively quickly. There was a fire built in the center of the clearing, cooking some piece of meat on a spit over it. Realizing how hungry he was, Link moved forward toward the meat-

Suddenly his feet were dangling in the air, kicking uselessly. A strong and rough hand had closed around the back of his shirt and was holding him effortlessly above the ground. There was something sharp and cold at Link's back that felt to him almost like the point of a sword. Not the best of starts.

"Just a kid," a voice muttered, as if mildly surprised. The next moment Link's feet hit the ground hard. Immediately he turned toward the person who had grabbed him and discovered he was facing a slender man taller than himself. He was wearing a simple brown tunic that looked to Link like something out of a history book. One hand was firmly pointing an average-looking sword in his face, though he imagined average wounds would be good enough.

"Who are you?" Link demanded, moving back slightly before realizing he had nowhere to go but the fire.

"I have the sharp pointy object, I ask the questions," the man answered flatly. He was speaking standard, grammatically correct Hylian, but with a strange accent. Nothing he had heard before, even in a melting pot like Ruto City. "But my name is Link. What's yours?"

All thought of accents was blown out of Link's head. He mind stumbled over itself for a few moments, resisting the urge to babble incoherently.

"My name's Link too, sir."

"Don't give me that," Link answered, eyes narrowing. "Keep that up and I'll take out your vital organs with a spoon."

"No, honestly, my name really is-"

"Hey! Neither of you can be Link! I'm Link!" Both of them turned toward the new arrival, Link surprised and Link bringing his blade to bear. Link was standing between two other trees, his chest puffed up and a glittering blade in hand. Seeing their gazes move to him he grinned and struck a heroic pose.

"Oh, hell," Link muttered, throwing up his hands. "This just gets better and I'm surrounded by idiots."

"You say your name is Link too?" Link asked the new Link hesitantly.

"I am the one and only Link! You must be imposters!"

At that moment another figure stepped into the clearing, likewise wearing a green Kokiri tunic. Immediately all Links turned to look at him suspiciously.

"Uh, hi," Link said in a friendly fashion. "It seems there are a lot of us Links running around. Glad to meet you." Link glared at him viciously; Link raised an eyebrow; Link cursed and glanced back down at the fire. There was a long silence as Link watched Link watching Link and Link turned the food on the spit.

"Well," Link said, scratching the back of his head, "this could get confusing."

- - - - -

Yes, they'll get other names soon.

The characters in this story are from the various games and other sources, including my imagination. Except for explicit sequels, each game has a different Link and these are in parallel dimensions, not chronologically related (more of this will be explained later in the plot). I'm a Zelda fan too, but I've taken some artistic liberties. Please bear with any changes or extrapolations that aren't to your liking. I promise you I'm trying to make a good story, nothing else.

Also, I hate to say this because everyone does and it gets old, but feedback is always nice, even if just you're just noting you read the chapter. I put it online so other people could see it, after all.


	2. A Link by Any Other Name

The second installment is on schedule, hopefully a good start. Two Fridays from now the next chapter will be uploaded. This will be the last pre-chapter author's note barring unusual circumstances; other notes can be found at the end.

- - - - -

Chapter 1: A Link by Any Other Name…

For a long time there were only the sounds of eating and the crackling campfire. The woods about them had grown dark very quickly, so the fire had been kept up for the purposes of more than cooking. There had been little talking, and after a few moments of argument all of them had settled down about one of the Link's campfire. For the sake of simplicity, they just addressed each other as "Hey, you."

Finishing his meal at the rate of a ravenous teenager, Link sat back against a tree and sighed contentedly. It had been extremely well cooked, especially considering it was done over a simple fire. The others were still eating, so he took the time to watch them.

Of the group, the simplest looking was methodically eating away. He didn't seem in any way extraordinary, though Link doubted he wanted to meet him in a dark alley. Through the entire meal his free hand rested near his blade and his eyes shifted continually. At the same time, he'd done an amazing job with whatever the meat was they had eaten.

Beside him was the last arrival. Link spent a longer amount of time examining him. He was completely unarmed and didn't seem at all dangerous. From what little he had said and done, Link's impression of him was that he was the kind of person his mother would like. Without being asked he had helped with the meal and was now politely chewing.

Though the remaining person around the campfire was dressed exactly like the previous man, the resemblance ended there. This one had grown his brown hair slightly long and had one ear pierced. His sword was long and shimmered, like a proper blade of legend should. On his back he carried a shield with insignias Link recognized vaguely but couldn't place. Almost like the crest of the president of Hyrule but not quite. He was scarfing down his food at an indecent rate, scraps occasionally flying to the ground in his hurry.

Looking up at the leaves and a bit of the sky, Link sighed. What was going on? He smirked slightly, thinking of how confused that punk would have been when he disappeared, but the expression wilted almost instantly. His mother would be so worried and his father would be terribly angry when he got home from work. How could he explain all this to them?

In the short time he'd been wherever he was, nothing had seemed familiar. Even the trees seemed to be of a different variety than he knew; the grass and other plants were likewise strange. Though he wouldn't have admitted it, Link felt very lonely and lost.

"Alright!" someone announced, making Link look up. The boastful Link had finished his meal and was speaking. Rather loudly. "Let's get down to business and figure out what's going on around here!" Seeming to assume a position of leadership, he jabbed a finger directly toward Link, who jumped in surprise. "You! Who are you?"

"I'm just a normal kid," Link answered, scratching the back of his head. "Nothing's special about me. My name's Link."

"No! I'm Link! There can be only one Hero of Hyrule!"

"Let him speak," the kindly looking Link interrupted, glancing toward the youth. "We won't gain anything that way. How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Hm. I remember being that age. Did you get here rather strangely?"

"Yeah. I was just walking around when something swept past me. For a moment I felt cold, then I was falling, then I found myself here."

"That's what happened to me!" the other Link burst out, pulling his glittered blade and waving it about his head excitedly. "How did you know? You must be reading my mind or something! Get out of my head!"

"Shut up!" the simple Link snapped. His voice held a ringing quality that somehow made the other Link go silent. Growling irritably, this Link glowered at the other three speculatively. With a heavy sigh he began to speak. "I'm going to assume that this is not merely a drunken hallucination and that all of you are real. That means there are four people named Link all in the same place."

"You can't be Link! I-"

"When I want your opinion I'll beat it out of you," Link cut him off. "As I was saying: I'd be willing to bet all of us got here the same way, just like the kid described. Is this a coincidence? If so, Agahnim had the good of the kingdom at heart. All of us seem connected by something. We need to find out what the deal is with this." He closed his eyes momentarily, appearing to concentrate. "Start with where you were originally from. I'm from Hyrule."

"No! I'm from Hyrule!" the loudest Link immediately declared.

"Is it the 'shut' or the 'up' that's confusing you?"

"I'm not," the other Link said softly, interrupting the argument. "I lived in a kingdom called Holodrum, though my Hyrule isn't too far away." He glanced toward the youngest Link, who shifted uncomfortably.

"It isn't a kingdom, but I am a citizen of the country of Hyrule," Link told them. Across the fire, the Link in brown was gazing into the flame, eyes narrow and considering.

"If all of us are named Link, things'll get really confusing," he said abruptly. "We should pick different names."

There was a long silence as the group of four looked at each other. No one seemed willing to speak. As if he didn't really care, the Link that had spoken picked up another leg of meat and began eating his way through it. Silence drew on as they watched each other.

"My middle name is Vincent," the kind Link said eventually. "You can call me that."

"Glad to meet you, Vincent," Link said, taking the leg from his mouth. "I guess I'll go by Cid. Don't ask. What about the two of you?"

"My name is Link!" the boastful Link insisted. Cid rolled his eyes, then threw the bone from his meat at him.

"I shouldn't even have to answer that, but since you're an idiot: we can't all be Link."

"But that's my name!"

"Surely you could think of something else," Vincent pressed gently. "Isn't there anything you'd like to be called that we could use to identify you?"

"Sir Sexalot?"

"Correction," Cid interrupted acidly. "Anything you'd like to be called that will not motivate me to stab you where the sun doesn't shine."

"I could be Hero! Because that's what I am!"

"That's the most idiotic thing I've ever-"

"That's a great name," Vincent interrupted. He shot a sidelong glance at Cid, who gave a slight nod and then began gesturing around the campfire.

"Alright, we have Cid, Vincent, Hero... and this kid. What about you?"

"Well, I'm really not sure," Link answered truthfully. "I'm not good at making up things, I hate my middle name, and I can't think of anything else..."

"We'll let it be for now," Cid told him. "If there's only one Link it won't matter. Anyway, there's more important business to get to. Listen, 'Hero', what exactly have you done that makes you heroic?"

"I guard the Triforce," Hero answered proudly. "I'm the guy that defeats Ganon every single time he tries to steal the Triforce."

"Ganon is alive in your world?" Cid asked, a sliver of his sword actually glinting in his scabbard. Link winced at the obviously sharp edge.

"What's it to you?"

"I also battled a being named Ganon over the Triforce," Cid answered, speaking to the others except to shoot a glance in Hero's direction. "I destroyed mine, though. Zelda would've killed me if I'd let him live."

"You have a Princess Zelda?" Hero gasped. "Did you ever manage to get her to kiss you?"

"But all of that was quite a few years ago," Cid continued as if he hadn't heard. "Things have been quiet since then. What about the two of you?"

"I'll go next," Vincent volunteered. "My story is like yours in some ways, but very different in others. Most of my time was spent defeating a man named Onox and a sorceress named Veran. There were two witches that were controlling them, but I don't suppose that's relevant. That was a while ago for me, too. Things weren't immediately calm, but after some minor problems things have been peaceful for a few years."

"And you?" Cid asked, pulling a long stick from his pocket and jabbing it in Link's direction. Nervously the youth refused to meet his gaze, trying to figure out what he could say.

"I haven't really done anything," he eventually surrendered. There was a long pause as the others looked at him wordlessly. Eventually Hero started to snicker, but Vincent and Cid seemed to be completely unmoved.

"In my world," Cid said slowly, voice low, "there have been many men named Link. There are dozens, but at least two of the Links have been heroes. None of them have ever lived at the same time, but they've all saved the world in some way in their time."

"Your quest must not have happened yet," Vincent stepped in, "but it probably will. You were brought here with us, after all."

"It works for you to keep the name Link, then," Cid continued, holding the stick in one corner of his mouth. "That's always been the name of the hero who is dealing with the whole legend thing. We're not using the name any more, so you may as well."

"What?" Hero demanded. "We're going to let some pathetic kid have the name? I wanted it! What about the stuff that I'm still doing? Most of the time I have to stop a monster or something. I still have quests!"

"I'll tell you what you can do with your quests," Cid muttered. Hero rose to his feet, stomping over to stand above Cid.

"You wanna make something of it?"

"Please, both of you," Vincent interrupted, stepping between them. "We don't need to fight about this. Something is obviously very wrong and we need to work together if we're going to get back to where we belong."

"Speaking of which," Link managed to find the courage to speak, "do any of you recognize where we are? I've never been here before."

"Likewise," Cid grunted. Hero sat back down, grumbling and casting murderous glances that were ignored. With a relieved smile Vincent sank down to the ground gracefully.

"I ain't never seen this place," Hero reluctantly offered.

"I would imagine this location does not exist in any of our worlds," Vincent suggested. "I've traversed mine very thoroughly, but this is new to me."

"It does remind me of one thing, though," Cid spoke up. "The Sacred Realm could shift depending on a number of different factors, but it had a distinctly unreal feel to it. This place feels kind of like that."

"I guess we could call it the Sacred Realm, then," Vincent agreed. "We might as well until we find some real occupants who can tell us more."

"What if there aren't any other occupants?" Link abruptly asked, eyes widening with the thought. "What if all that's here is a bunch of guys named Link?" This idea sank in around the circle for a few moments.

"It's possible," Cid eventually said, nodding. "Whoever or whatever did all this certainly seemed to target the four of us. We don't have much in common other than the name."

"I certainly don't have much in common with guys like you," Hero muttered.

"No, you don't," Cid agreed sharply. There was another long silence, and abruptly Vincent's head snapped up, his eyes focused on nothing visible.

"Stalfos!" he whispered. An instant after he said it several forms burst from the woods surrounding them. Before Link had even properly seen what they were, Cid had grabbed a heavy branch from the fire and bashed it into the eyes of the nearest figure. It stumbled but kept coming, making Link let out a shriek he would have been quite ashamed of in any other circumstance.

The creature wasn't human or even close. It was a collection of large bones, held together by nothing visible, clad in spiked armor and wielding long and jagged blades. Instead of eyes it had only glowing orange spheres that did not seemed at all harmed by the flames burning around them. There were several such creatures, forming a half circle around the campfire.

One slashed down at Vincent, who leapt away. Behind him, the log he had been sitting on was sliced in half. Cid pulled his blade and blocked aside the blows of the monster nearest him. With a loud cry Hero lifted his blade and began swatting wildly about the nearest Stalfos, which seemed more puzzled than threatened.

His knees shaking, Link began to back away from the battle. _St... Stalfos?_ He had read about them in history books, but he hadn't thought any existed in modern times. Then again, was this really modern?

Such thoughts fled from his head as he bumped into something behind him. Horrified, he whirled about and froze at the sight of a Stalfos behind him. Even had he moved, he would have been too late to escape the bony hand that closed over his throat and lifted him into the air. While he struggled with the creature, which seemed inhumanly strong, it raised its blade and pulled back for a swing...

Something inside him snapped and his fear vanished. With all the strength in his young body he smashed his fist into the hand that was holding him. It shattered, and he fell to the ground, narrowly avoiding the slashing blade. Roaring, the Stalfos glanced at its missing hand, and then moved to strike again.

Whatever there had been inside Link was gone. He couldn't make himself move as the cruel weapon arced down. Was it all really going to end this quickly? It seemed so pointless... his life had barely just begun, and he would never be able to-

A flaming log smashed directly into the creature's chest. It broke the brittle bone and snapped the Stalfos' spine. Quickly the creature collapsed, its body falling apart as the dark magic that had bound it together dissolved. Within seconds there were only dry bones lying on the ground and soon even those dissolved entirely.

Panting from the close call, Link glanced over his shoulder. He suspected that Cid had kicked the log, but the older man was currently fending off two Stalfos. As Link watched, he deflected the blade of one while holding his own sword in one hand, then abruptly flicked a dagger into his other hand and cut off the arm of the Stalfos behind him.

Just then Link heard a growl behind him. Once again terrified, he turned and discovered a massive wolf before him. No, he realized, cursing himself for remembering biology classes in such a situation, it was larger than a wolf. Its massive jaws and shaggy grey coat meant that it had to be another legendary creature, a Wolfos.

It leapt at him, claws rending the air, but just before it struck, something tackled him from the side. When he ceased moving, Link opened his eyes and realized that Vincent had picked him up and evaded the attack. Now the other man set him down, eyes focused on the Wolfos prowling before them. Abruptly it leapt again, but Vincent ducked beneath its attack. Skidding to a halt, it turned toward him and growled once more.

Abruptly a dagger appeared in the center of its head and the creature crashed to the ground, blood flying from the wound. Grimly Cid stepped past Vincent and pulled his weapon from the creature. With a practiced ease he wiped off the dagger and made it vanish inside his brown tunic.

"No injuries?" he asked them. They shook their heads and he nodded curtly. "Where's Hero?"

Metal clashed upon metal, answering their question. They turned just in time to see Hero deflect the blade of the last remaining Stalfos, then decapitate it in a massive stroke. As the body crashed to the ground he returned his blade to its sheath and pumped a fist in the air.

"I killed one!" he announced to the forest. "Who's the man? Who's the _man_?"

He turned and caught sight of the remains of the campfire in what little starlight remained. Cid, Vincent and Link stood amid dissolving bones and the carcass of the Wolfos. Seemingly unaffected, he began to stride toward them and promptly tripped over the remains of one of the Stalfos.

"I meant to do that!" he called from the ground. Cid cursed, then took a stick from his pocket and placed it in his mouth.

"We did lose our fire, though. Such a pain in th-" He cut off as a soft light began to flicker over all of them. Raising an eyebrow he glanced to Vincent. The younger man had one palm raised and a tongue of flame danced just above it, lighting the entire campsite. "Useful trick," he muttered. Link was in awe, not recognizing the spell but impressed.

"How did you do that?" Hero demanded, leaping to his feet. Vincent ignored him and bent beside the log, lighting it easily and then closing his hand over the flame. Soon all four were sitting around the fire again, a general silence reigning. Fiddling with the stick in his mouth, Cid seemed deep in thought, or at least that was Link's impression. Eventually he spoke.

"If this is the Sacred Realm, something is screwed up in high places," he observed flatly. "For the moment I think it's best that we stick together, because there are probably a lot more monsters in the area. Tomorrow we should scout out our situation, but for now I think that we should get some sleep. In my world, anyway, I was about to hit the sack."

"I shall stand first watch!" Hero declared, getting to his feet and lifting his sword into the air.

"How should we divide this?" Cid asked, glancing at the other two. "I'll take a watch, but what about you?"

"I don't have a weapon, but I should be able to alert everyone else," Vincent told him.

"I... I don't think I should," Link said, trying his best not to make eye contact. "Just one of those things was going to kill me, and I really doubt I could do any good. Compared to you guys, I'm pretty pathetic..."

"No, you're just inexperienced," Vincent told him. Cid's eyes were still fixed on the fire, but he nodded.

"We need to get you a sword. After one for Vincent. The Stalfos' weapons are already destroyed, but we can be more careful next time. Alright, get comfortable and make sure you sleep well, because I can't imagine tomorrow is going to be a stroll through a field of daisies." Link nodded in agreement, though he didn't know what his opinion was worth. He lay back on the ground, which abruptly seemed much knottier and uncomfortable than it had a second before, and tried to close his eyes. He _was_ tired.

"Hey, wait a second!" Hero said slowly. "You're almost acting like you're the leader of this little group here!"

In response Cid kicked dirt onto the fire, plunging the group into darkness.

* * *

Some time later Link continued to gaze upward at the stars. He had tossed and turned for some time and eventually given up, at least for the moment. His entire life he had slept in a normal bed, if he didn't count the times that they had gone camping. Even then, though, he had used a bedroll. The ground might prevent him from getting any sleep. 

Grumbling to himself, he sat up and glanced around. By this point his eyes had adjusted to the darkness and he could see at least vague outlines. Hero stood by the edge of the camp, almost as if he was striking a pose. Cid was lying against a tree, his cap pulled low over his eyes and his sword alongside him. _He_ certainly wasn't bothered by the circumstances. Vincent was lying peacefully on his side near the fire, his blond hair falling over his face. All of them had done this before, but he was just a novice at this business. If the situation got dangerous again, he'd only be a liability. For that matter, he was an eternity away from home, in a place he couldn't understand, being attacked by terrible monsters... he refused to acknowledge the moisture on his cheeks.

Minutes later he was asleep.

* * *

"Hey." Vincent felt a boot on his shoulder and opened his eyes. Blinking sleep away, he got to his feet and nodded to Cid, who was standing silhouetted against the brilliant moon above. The campfire was dark and apparently peaceful. 

"My turn?" he asked softly. Cid's form gave a brief nod.

"Hero fell asleep after an hour. I took half of the remaining part of the night."

"Alright." Following Vincent's response there were no more words, both men merely standing and saying nothing, neither of them needing to say anything. Eventually Cid gave a wry chuckled and glanced at Vincent.

"I'm not completely off my rocker. Are you?"

"Not as far as I know."

"Then we're just really screwed." He sighed and twisted his neck slightly with a popping noise. "You're a younger guy, so you might not have this, but do you know how sometimes you feel things in your bones? Well, this feels really bad to me. Not immediate danger, but something... well, something a lot worse."

"This is definitely wrong," Vincent agreed. "I don't quite understand how. It's as if there's something missing that I've never been without before in my life."

"...that's a good way to put it," Cid eventually decided. "Well, worrying about it now won't do us any good." He dropped to the ground, pulled his cap over his eyes and laced his hands over his stomach. There was a moment of silence, and then he glanced up just slightly. "But for our sake, I hope this all ends soon."

- - - - -

Thank you all for the reviews. I have no problem with anonymous ones, but keep in mind that means I can't answer your questions. If you ask a general question that is notable for everyone I will mention it in the next author's note, but otherwise site policy prevents me from responding (unless I communicate with you via other channels, of course).

To answer one question in the former category: yes, this story will contain non-Link characters. About 57 percent of the important characters are Links, if the count off the top of my head didn't miss anyone. For plot reasons none of these characters will appear for a little while, but the cast will balance in time.

EDIT: _Percent._ 57 percent of the characters are Links; there aren't 57 characters. For some reason this website strips the percent character from documents, just like they strip their own name. Odd.


	3. Shard Waker

Chapter 2: Shard Waker

He recognized the smell before it came into view. Link smiled and picked up his pace, straining to look over the crest ahead. When he had been young his family had gone to the ocean and he had never forgotten the salty scent. His feet had been killing him a few hours into their walk, so sand sounded nice.

There was even a chance they might take a break. More for his sake than the others, because all of them seemed to be in much better shape. Hero was grumbling and slouching, but didn't seem out of breath. If he was fine, it didn't surprise Link at all that the other two were practically unaffected, Vincent gliding along and Cid marching like he intended to go all day. They probably noticed he was lagging behind, but he didn't dare mention it.

A few minutes later his suspicion was confirmed. As they reached the top of the crest he could see that the earth became rockier and eventually merged into a shore of fine white sand. The waters lapped at it gently, journeying from the horizon. Link had to resist the urge to take off his shoes and run in the sand, which would have been mildly embarrassing at best. Hero seemed to be considering it when Cid cursed.

"I was hoping for something more informative than this," he explained, folding his arms and trying to stare down the landscape. "A river would be nice, because we could follow it inland, but no such luck."

"Some leader you are," Hero muttered. Link sighed and looked down, but noticed that Vincent seemed to be staring in the wrong direction.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked softly. Cid raised a hand to shield his eyes, squinting for a moment before nodding curtly.

"Looks like it. Pretty large ship, for that matter."

"And ships mean people!" Hero's contribution earned him a few hard stares, but the group was more interested in examining their find. As they hiked along the coast at an even faster rate, Link realized that he almost completely forgot the ache in his legs. Would they find even more Links?

The ship grew clearer as they approached, especially given that it seemed to be sailing in their direction. It was fairly large, with a massive sail stiff in the wind. Was it hastily constructed? He couldn't be sure, because this one was made out of wood and in an older style, whereas the shipwrights in his Hyrule had moved to metal. It was evident they had been spotted as well, because a boat was being lowered from the side. Cid stopped the group at a good bit of shore and they waited.

As the figure approached, several details immediately leapt at Link: green hood, green tunic. He handled the small craft well, guiding it to lodge in the sand and nimbly leaping out, his wind-tossed blond hair flying loosely beneath his cap. As he approached he extended his hands in a peaceful gesture, though it was an act of questionable efficacy given the number of weapons he carried.

"I don't suppose I need to ask your names?" he called, smiling broadly. Link noticed that the man had an odd face, adult yet child-like in a way he couldn't quite define. "People have taken to calling me Captain, though. You?"

"You seem to know what's going on here," Cid questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Care to fill us in?"

"Suspicious, are we?" Captain raised an eyebrow in a remarkably similar expression. "Can't say I blame you, though. I've only been here for a day or two, but I was lucky enough to start out in a good place. Anyway, the reason I brought the ship this way was to ask if you guys needed a ride."

"To where?" Vincent asked.

"The island, of course. All the other Links I've met are headed there. Apparently there's a temple of some sort there, and, well, that seems like a good place to start."

"Fair enough," Cid grunted. "But where are we?"

"Fine, fine, I'll answer that too." Captain turned and made a large hand signal in the direction of the ship. "But we really don't want to waste too much time. We can talk all we want later, considering how much time it will probably take to get across the ocean.

"I guess you could say this is a specialized afterlife. Practically everyone here was a Link while they were alive. Not sure why the Goddesses chose to do things this way, but we've clearly all been placed in a world like our own. I'm sure you've already ran into the monsters and such, though nothing that serious. Can we be off?"

"Are you saying all of us have died?" Link breathed, eyes widening.

"Yeah, it seems so. The last thing I remember was a terrible storm, so it could be. Or you never can tell when it's just your time and your heart fails or something." Cid's eyes didn't leave the newcomer's face but he said nothing at all. Before the silence could stretch Vincent stepped forward slightly.

"We didn't know where we were going before and I don't think there's a reason not to come with you. Can we all fit in your boat?"

"It'll be a tight fit, but probably." Captain turned and splashed through the shallows to move the boat so they could get into it. "So are you ever going to give me your new names?"

"Call me Vincent. Glad to meet you."

"Cid." He didn't offer anything else, stepping into the boat and sitting down at the end.

"I'm Link!" Another voice chimed in.

"Hero…"

"Err, but you can call me Hero." With that he leapt into the boat, making it rock dangerously and begin drifting away before Captain caught it and glanced back at the remaining passenger to be.

"We're still calling me Link," he said nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry."

"It'll do." Captain shrugged and thrust a hand in his direction. "Get on board."

Once all of them were inside and as comfortable as could be expected given the circumstances, they pushed away from the shallows and began drifting back toward the ship. Vincent took the oar that Captain couldn't reach and they made their way in that general direction.

"Hope you don't mind helping out. We're running on a pretty small crew."

"Crew?" Vincent glanced over at him curiously. "Have you found that many Links, or are there others?"

"Yeah, they're just other Hylians. Good sailors, though. I don't know if they were heroic enough to get sent here or if they snuck in from normal people heaven or what. We haven't had too much time to talk about our personal lives. You'll get to meet them in a bit."

The crew was a small group of beefy men that gave sailors' salutes but didn't seem to talk much beyond grunting. Link instantly realized they weren't like the others. Even Cid seemed to have a different aura that made it obvious he was a Link. At that thought Link swallowed, doubting that he projected such an aura. Did he really belong here?

As the ship began to pull away from the shore, its sail shifted to catch the wind, he wondered if any of them were meant to be here.

* * *

"Are you doing alright?" 

"I'll be okay," Link reassured Vincent. He then turned and vomited over the side of the ship. After coughing for a bit to get as much of the terrible taste out of his mouth as possible he turned around and fell against the wall. Vincent watched him in slight concern; he wasn't having any trouble at all, of course. It was very little comfort that Hero had been retching over the sides the entire first day as well.

"You really do get used to it."

"I can't wait." Groaning, he looked around the deck and eventually spotted Cid on the opposite side, feeding a thick rope to one of the sailors in the rigging. "Can you bring Cid over here for me? I've been wanting to ask you guys something."

"Sure." Vincent did give him a quizzical eyebrow, but he went over to talk to Cid. They spoke for a few moments and then both of them headed back in his direction. Before they got across the deck again Link took the time to dispose of some more vomit. When he turned back it was directly into a hard stare.

"What is it?" Cid demanded. "I've got random sailing crap to do."

"Sorry." Well, things were off to a bad start. "I was just thinking that it seems like we're in this for the long haul. I know I'll probably never be useful, but I'd like to avoid being a burden. Could you guys train me? You know, to use a sword and stuff?"

"I guess that makes sense." He nodded and his eyes shifted to the side as if he was analyzing the proposal. "Sure. We should be able to teach you the basic idea of keeping your own guts inside. Vincent can probably show you some technique as well. It'd be nice to split this three ways, but I don't trust Captain and Hero… seems likely to be busy for a while." Hearing his name, the last member of their group looked from the side irritably.

"Well, excuuse me-" Whatever else he had intended to say was cut off by another stream of vomit over the side. The other three promptly turned and ignored him.

"Heck, let's get started now," Cid said, turning away. "Hey! Can you toss me a sword?" One of the sailors above dropped a short blade toward the deck. As it passed by, Cid caught it by the handle and then flipped it over to hand to Link. The boy took it, slightly startled by the feel of the hilt in his hand. Even for a small sword, it was heavier than he'd expected. Before he could get used to it Cid pulled him to his feet roughly. "Get ready."

"What?" Link had his sword raised without thinking much about it, but the next second it was knocked to the side, nearly out of his hands. Cid was already pulling back to swing again, making his opponent panic and take a step back. "Wait! I'm still feeling sick and-"

The blade slid just past his head, missing closely enough to send a few hairs toward the deck. Immediately after a fist did not miss his stomach, doubling Link over in pain. His sword dropped from his hands and for a moment his eyes were watering too much to see. Just as he started to think about what to do next he was tossed backward by the older man, knocking against the side of the ship painfully.

"What the hell was that?" He regretted his words an instant later as Cid bent down in front of him, eyes narrow.

"That's the first lesson. No one cares if you're sick or off guard. When you pick up a sword that makes you a target, someone for every monster and soldier to try and kill. It's not like you have more than one life, so you'd better make it count." With that he straightened and returned his blade to its sheath. "That's all I feel like doing. Vincent, take over."

"Alright." The slightly younger man nodded amiably. "Could I use your sword?" The blade was passed to him with a grunt and he turned back to Link, who was still rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head.

"Is it really supposed to be like this?" he grumbled. "I thought Link was supposed to be automatically good with weapons."

"Is it that way in stories?" Vincent smiled slightly.

"Movies, anyway."

The other man blinked a few times but moved on without much of a pause. "In any case, it's not like that, which shouldn't really come as a surprise. You'll have to learn like everyone else. But it looks like you have a knack for it, similar to me as a kid."

"Really."

"I'm not making fun of you." Vincent raised his hands defensively and shook his head. "You automatically held your sword the right way and you didn't lose it the first time it hit something. That's significant."

"If you say so." Link pulled to his feet with a grunt, gripping his sword again. "Now what?"

"What Cid said was true, but I'll leave that kind of thing to him. We'll just spar a bit. The important thing to remember is that you don't want to make big movements that will leave you open. Come at me and you'll see."

As Link moved forward and was disarmed for the first of what was to be many times, he couldn't help but smile slightly. Something about this was fun, better than any of his classes. Better than vacations, even, because those always made him lethargic. He felt alive, energized.

Did every Link feel this way? Was this always how the path to glory began? He had a bad feeling that this time wasn't going to be anything like the others…

* * *

The sword flew from his hands, spinning several times before clattering to the deck. Link wrung his hand vigorously as he went after it. He hadn't ever thought about just how much force transferred from the sword to the body; even when he managed to block the blows his arm started feeling numb after a few minutes. 

"Am I improving at all?" he asked Vincent. The other man only smiled slightly.

"More than you might think. This kind of training can't really compare to what you learn in actual combat, but it will make you far more likely to survive your first real combat experience." He returned Cid's sword to its sheath without looking and moved to lean against the side of the ship. That was unusual. Typically they'd never take a break this early in the day; Vincent was much more of a task-master than he appeared.

"I actually lasted a little while," Link agreed optimistically, glad for a chance to let his aching muscles relax. "Of course, you probably weren't using more than 10 of your power or something."

Vincent chuckled. "I wouldn't say that, but you're right. After all, I'm not really fighting, just getting you used to combat. Plus…" He held up the worn sheath, his eyes running over it carefully. "This is a good sword, but it isn't mine. At your level it probably doesn't matter, but you'll want to pick a sword type and get used to it."

"Would… would you fight me for real?" Link swallowed at the speed Vincent glanced over to him. "I just want to get a sense for how far away you are."

"That's not a bad idea… but no."

"What? Why not?"

For a while he played around with the handle of the sword, then Vincent slowly look at him and gave a gentle smile. "My style isn't really suitable for training. There would be too great a risk of killing you."

"Oh." Link paled visibly and looked away, trying to decide if he should be relieved or disturbed. Really, he knew next to nothing about his companions. It wouldn't be hard to imagine Cid selling all of them out, or Vincent hiding sadism behind his smile, or Hero… well, that was a small comfort.

But no. They were Links.

* * *

Shaking his head, Cid turned away from the training session. It seemed wrong, somehow, for a Link to be trained instead of developing his skill on the battlefield. Then again, he had a bad feeling the kid wasn't going to be given a chance to hone his skills. So far nothing had been all that threatening, but – perhaps it was just the fact that he was always uneasy at sea. 

Captain was standing nearby, gazing into the distance. Hearing Cid begin to shift, the other man turned to glance at him, shifting his cap back with a grin. "I have to say, it's good to have you guys on board. The crew is great and everything, but it's not the same."

"Hunh." He folded his arms and leaned back against the side of the boat, glancing at the other man out of the slivers of his eyes.

"I've been wanting to talk with you about some more serious things, but a group can be difficult. Am I correct in assuming you're the leader?"

"I'm no leader." Cid jerked a stick from his pocket and jabbed it between his teeth. "But go ahead."

"It's nothing that critical; I just wanted to be able to share my thoughts with someone who would understand." Folding his arms behind his back, Captain turned to look out to sea again, taking a deep breath before going on. "Doesn't it seem strange, being here? There's no legend, no quest… why are we really here? What are we supposed to do?

"But that was when I really started thinking. I realized that my entire life I was being driven, by necessity or a sense of destiny or something else. That's gone now. And you know what?" He turned his head just slightly to grin at the other man. "I like it."

"Isn't that how most people feel?" Cid asked. The stick was shifting fitfully in his mouth, but his eyes did not move.

"That's exactly it. Doesn't that seem just a bit unfair to you? Everyone else gets to live whatever kind of life they want, but we can't even have normal childhoods. Doesn't destiny make all our battles kind of pointless? There's something terrible about the fact that the 'bad guys' are doomed to lose from the onset. Feel sorry for them, really."

"Yes, of course. It would be better for Ganon to rule the world, burning and raping and slaughtering. That's what I'd call justice."

The smile soured swiftly and Captain turned away again. "That's not what I meant. Those things aren't meaningful threats if you know they'll be stopped. Victory doesn't mean anything when it's just given to you."

"Sounds like it's a lot nobler to be the villain and fight against destiny," Cid observed flatly. Captain's hair snapped around his head as he glanced at the other man, but he was only watching him without expression, as before. "On a completely unrelated note, I have a few questions for you."

"Sure." Captain laced his fingers behind his head and waited.

"First up, I was wondering where exactly this island is."

"Oh, north north-west." He gestured vaguely. "But you could tell that. Why?"

"Come on," Cid growled. "I may not be a sailor, but I'm also not an idiot. We've been sweeping this area for the past few days and we've barely moved today. Are you looking for something or just stalling?"

The other man laughed abruptly, putting down his arms to slap his knee. "That's all? That's why you were so suspicious? Alright, I'll let you in on a big secret. I found a… treasure map, of sorts. I think there may be something on the ocean floor beneath where we are now. It probably won't be that significant – just some rupees or something – but who can resist the lure of a treasure chest?"

"My apologies, then." Cid took the stick from his mouth and gestured vaguely to the aft of the ship. "Is that what your men are doing? Trying to pulling up the treasure?"

"Nothing gets past you, I see. Actually, I expect we'll find it today. Want to take a look?"

"Why not? Might be fun."

As the winch came up both of them peered over to see what had been caught. At first it seemed there was nothing, but then the sunlight glinted off something. Captain reached down and scooped out a flat piece of what appeared to be dark marble. It looked more like a shard of pottery than anything else, a rough rectangle with irregular sides.

"Well, that's disappointing," Captain sighed. "Probably not even worth much of anything. I guess we'll have to give up on this spot."

"Mind if I see it?" For a moment the man stared at Cid's outstretched hand, then he looked up and laughed.

"Really? You think you know what it is or something?"

"Random curiosity. It is, as you said, not worth much of anything." A long pause stretched between them, neither looking away or moving from their position. "Humor me, now. I just got over being suspicious of you and I want to stay friends."

"Alright then, if you really care." Shrugging, Captain dropped the dark shard into the other man's hand. "Kind of interesting, I guess."

"You could say that." Cid examined it for a moment then stretched out his arm. As Captain hand moved up to grab the shard, the older man flicked his fingers sharply, sending the small object spinning backward. He caught it in his other hand easily.

"Aw, don't be a jerk," the other admonished him. Smiling broadly, he stretched and put his arms up behind his head again.

Without warning his fingers unlaced and Captain's hand grasped the hilt of his sword. The weapon slashed down, taking a deep gouge from the railing directly behind where Cid had stood. At the sound of the blow everyone on the ship turned to look, the crew freezing in mid-motion to stare down at the scene. Link blinked in confusion, trying to make out what had happened but unnerved by the way Vincent was holding his sword and scabbard in both hands.

Instantly pulling his weapon to face his opponent, Captain glared at him for a moment before leaping backward to land at the prow of the ship. As he landed he sheathed his sword and pulled a thin golden flute from his pocket. A few eerie notes floated from it before a fist snapped it in half. It took him only a second to let the pieces go and unsheathe his sword again, but the blow whistled through the air as Cid leaned back.

None of this registered to Link, who was distracted by the crew members dropping to the floor of the ship with heavy thumps. At the first notes of the melody they had begun to shake, and now their skin seemed to be sloughing off to reveal blue hide underneath. Beady eyes bore into his with malicious stares and it was several seconds before he thought to get into ready position with his sword up. By then the Moblins were already advancing across the ship.

"By the way, I lied earlier." Cid worked the stick to the other side of his mouth, cracking his knuckles on both hands. "I really don't give a damn about being friends."

Captain didn't even grunt in response. He only drew back his sword to strike.

- - - - -

Like the other early chapters, this one clarifies the nature of the story further. Hopefully this development is of interest to everyone. No offense to Wind Waker fans or the game itself, I just thought this made for the best story. For those of you who felt the story was moving slowly, rest assured that things are getting into gear.

Also, glance at the author's note from the previous chapter, which has been edited. It seems this website's tendency to strip certain characters or phrases led to miscommunication.


	4. A Hero Dies

Chapter 3: A Hero Dies

The ship drifted darkly against the blue ocean. It was only a speck in the expanse, really, but it immediately drew the eye as if it held great importance. Somehow the merrily shining sun did not touch the hard eyes of the combatants on board.

An instant after he began his movement Captain attacked, slashing horizontally at his opponent. Cid ducked away and was immediately forced to hop back as the blade arced and came whistling up toward his chin. His gaze shifted at the very same time the Moblin behind him jabbed its spear at his back.

He stepped just beside the thrust, which nicked the side of his tunic. When the creature hesitated for a split second in surprise he moved back and slammed his elbow into its throat. The spear dropped and the monster grabbed for its throat, but it was too late. Whirling, Cid grabbed the beast's head with both hands and twisted sharply. A loud crack sent the Moblin falling after its spear, which was caught by Cid's foot and hefted to his hands as he turned.

Captain was already there, blade flashing at his opponent's chest. The blow made a loud ringing sound and created a shower of sparks. Though Cid staggered backward several paces he remained on his feet, shifting his spear into combat position. Through the large cut in his tunic reddish mail could be seen, glowing from the impact.

Just as the sailor was about to renew his assault, the other man looked up, eyes cold. He froze and both of them remained on guard. After a crystalline moment both of them moved, lashing out with weapons as they darted to the side.

Across the ship's deck, Link was feeling significantly less confident. Several Moblins were coming in their direction, brandishing spears before them. He subconsciously took a step back as they marched closer, glancing nervously at Vincent beside him. The other man had barely shifted since seeing the Moblins, one hand holding the sheath at his side and the other loosely around the hilt.

When it happened he missed it. Vincent shot forward, past the startled Moblin's spear, at the very same time he pulled the sword from its sheath. A flashing arc bit through blue hide without trouble. Suddenly Link was beginning to realize what had happened and the monster was roaring and there was blood gushing and there was another spear stabbing at his head…

Instinct took over and Link batted it aside frantically. The move left him open, but fortunately the Moblin seemed equally off guard from the sudden parry. It gave a loud snort and gripped its spear tighter. Meanwhile Link tried to watch his opponent and Vincent simultaneously, failing due to basic anatomy. It looked like he was on his own – the other man was moving away, slashing through another opponent.

In the second he looked away another stab came at him; this time the tip actually clashed off his blade. How was he supposed to fight someone with a spear? Vincent had always used a sword, but he supposed the principles would be the same: don't get hit with the sharp parts. The spear had range, so the Moblin was probably going to keep stabbing from a distance and back up if he ever tried to close the gap.

Then there was no more time to think, as the spear shot out again. Trying to follow it with his eyes, Link lost track almost immediately and was nearly skewered. His awkward dodge left him open for a side sweep, sending him stumbling across the deck. It was going to stab again as he regained his balance; he could see it. Stumbling downward, Link managed to duck the next thrust and immediately pushed off the deck with all his might, slashing wildly.

A thin line of purple blood appeared on the Moblin's chest, making it roar in pain. The spear-head was flashing down at him already and by the time he evaded it his opponent was already out of range. Still, it was progress, and he couldn't help but begin to smile.

If not for the growl he wouldn't have stood a chance. Panicking more than anything else, Link threw himself to the side just as the spear split the air where he had stood. He managed to keep a hold of his sword, but his jaw hit the deck. Through the daze of his pain he could see both Moblins advancing upon him.

Air flowing from the sword ruffled Cid's hair. Much more of a concern was the fact that the blade cleanly sliced through the stick still held between his teeth. Spitting out the remaining end, he stabbed forward with the spear. His opponent backward away but something was wrong, things seemed too…

He barely jerked his head to the side in time to avoid a swiftly-moving spike. A chain continued to rattle past his head. Some kind of ball and chain? Cid knocked the chain aside with the end of his spear, but a second later it retracted to the small object in Captain's hand. The weapon, whatever it was, shot out again. His spear was out of position, so he knocked the spike aside with his free hand, breaking open the skin. The next shot came so quickly all he could manage was to throw himself beneath it, catching himself on the deck with one foot.

Coming out of his crouch, Cid swung up. Unfortunately, the reach of the spear was slightly too long, so the shaft only struck his opponent on the side of the head. Captain reeled but was barely slowed from bringing his blade down.

It crashed to a halt, mid-way to its target. Vincent swept his sword immediately and sent the Captain's off to the side. Before either could bring their weapons to bear again Vincent lashed out with one foot. His leg hit the opponent's tunic at torso level and sent him falling away. In a smooth movement Vincent tossed the sword over his shoulder and pursued.

Without getting a good footing Captain struck wildly, his blow glancing off the sheath in Vincent's hand and sending it flying. With an exultant cry he struck again, but Vincent leapt away, landing some distance down the deck. Once he was out of the way, the renegade Link was able to see Cid, coming forward with blade in hand. The instant he was in range he began striking repeatedly, forcing his opponent back.

Vincent turned from that battle, more concerned about Link. Any glimpse he might have had of the boy was obscured by the Moblin rushing at him. Though he managed to dodge the spear, the beast kept on running, shoving him across the deck with its sheer momentum. Red energy glowed around Vincent for a moment as he gritted his teeth and struck both his palms into his attacker's chest.

As the Moblin's charge became a stumbling crash toward the ground, Vincent managed to step aside, grabbing the spear from the dead beast's hands as he moved. He whipped it into a defensive position in case any others were near him, but as he looked up he realized that would be the least of his problems. Link was at that moment rolling to the side and narrowly avoiding a stab toward his chest. There was no way he could kill two Moblins before they could strike, but-

"Hyah!" The cabin door burst open with a loud cry, startling both monsters. Hero was already on them before they could react, slashing in a two-handed blow. It bit into the first Moblin and the force actually lifted it into the air, crashing against the side.

While the other was distracted, Link grabbed his sword and scrambled to reach a safe distance. He immediately cursed himself for not hacking at its leg when he had the chance, but he was too happy to be alive to care. Hero was currently standing with his sword on his shoulder, twisting a finger in his ear.

"Is that one yours, kid?" he asked, gesturing toward the injured Moblin that was looking between them. "Alright, I won't steal your fun."

"No, please do!" Link objected, but Hero was already sauntering away toward another Moblin. Another moved to assault him from the side and Link caught a glimpse of Vincent knocking its legs from under it with a spear before his opponent was attacking again, roaring in pain and anger.

They traded a few blows without either gaining ground. Realizing the Moblin was growing impatient, Link tried to think of a way to capitalize on that. Before he could think too much it lurched forward, aiming to impale him again. The blow was faster than the others, yet it was as if he saw it clearly moving toward him in slow motion. Stepping to the side, he brought his own sword to bear and stabbed the Moblin directly in the heart.

Or that's what should have happened. The tip of the spear gashed through his side, ripping his tunic and sending blood spattering to the deck. But he was already moving forward, his sword held before him. It managed to jab into the monster's chest and he lost his grip on the weapon. As it crashed to the ground he nearly fell as well, gripping his side tightly.

Collapsed on its back, the Moblin seemed to be trying to thrash back to its feet. The sword was still in its chest, drawing more blood as it struggled. Link knew he should retrieve his sword and finish it, but he was frozen. Bile rising in the back of his throat had nothing to do with the incessant rocking of the boat. He couldn't do it.

A spear stabbed down, pinning the Moblin back to the ground. The blow came so abruptly that Link actually fell backward, staring at Vincent. He received an encouraging smile, but his eyes passed it to the purple blood staining the simple tunic. Without a single sound Link began to shiver.

Across the deck the swords clashed again, both swinging away from the impact. It would be now. Cid saw the hand-held weapon come to bear again and spun away just as the metal tip neared his shoulder. Continuing the turn, he brought his weapon around at the same instant his opponent let go of the ranged weapon and swung with both hands.

The blade cut a line across his cheek, drawing blood but doing little damage. Cid didn't even flinch, finishing his spin and lifting his weapon to his side. Captain was about to turn his blade and decapitate his opponent when a stinging pain shot through his shin. Involuntarily he looked down to see the foot lashing at him again and moved to avoid it-

He screamed in pain as the blade cut into his chest, driving through his body and biting deeply into the wood of the ship. For a moment Captain gagged, blood beginning to dribble from his mouth, then he suddenly grabbed the sword impaling him. Lines of blood flowed down his hand, but he seemed oblivious, eyes fixed on the man in front of him.

"They will kill you!" he hissed. "You and all of us! Never again! Never-" A boot hit him directly in the face, driving it into the wall and silencing him rather effectively. Cid jerked his blade out of his opponent and wiped off the blood, eyes never shifting from the crumpled body on the deck.

"Some battle, huh?" Hero stood with bloody sword in hand, grinning at him. "You know, I think this was just what I needed. I don't feel seasick at all."

"Good for you," Cid grated. He turned away to look over the rest of the ship, making sure all the bodies weren't likely to move any more. Link was curled against one of the walls and quaking, though there was Moblin blood on the sword near him. At his side was Vincent, who at that moment glanced over his shoulder and nodded slightly to Cid. Sighing, he began searching through the corpses for his scabbard and ordered Hero over his shoulder. "Make yourself useful. We have a lot to clean up."

* * *

The door opened just slightly, giving a loud creak. He had chosen this cabin for that very reason. One of Cid's eyes shot open as the noise began but he was already relaxing by the time the sound faded. It was only Vincent, not looking particularly worried.

"Something happening?" he asked. The other shook his head.

"Not exactly. But come up on deck. There's something you should see."

Grumbling, Cid slipped off the bunk and moved to the door. Forget the Master Sword or magic… the ability to sleep in armor was far more useful. They moved quickly through the moonlit corridor before coming out onto the deck. It was quiet and clear, the stars lighting the way for people who actually knew what they were doing with a ship. People other than them. Still, it wasn't too difficult to keep moving in the direction they had been headed and he figured that between what little skill the two of them had they could manage to run into something.

"Do you see it?"

He didn't, but of course he wouldn't say that. After a moment of examining the dark horizon he spotted it, a small white sail in the distance. It was a vessel much smaller than theirs, headed away from them. For the moment he couldn't judge its speed, though it couldn't be going much faster or slower.

"I spotted it half an hour ago," Vincent explained. He leaned against the side of the ship and folded his arms. "It seemed to be headed in a very similar direction to the one we picked, but it's starting to diverge. I wanted your thoughts."

"Eh." Cid patted his pockets, searching for a stick and failing in his quest. Damn, had he really broken them all? "Unless that's a ghost ship, which I suppose we can't discount, presumably it's headed for land. I guess a certain landing is better than chancing death by starvation in the ocean. If necessary we can just kill whoever is on it."

"That was my thought as well; it probably can't hurt. Whoever is sailing it has certainly seen us, but they don't seem to be running away or closing the gap. I suppose they are as suspicious of us as we are of them."

"Can't say that I blame 'em," he grunted in response. "After the friendly reception we got from the crew here I'm inclined to not trust any future Link we meet."

"Future?" The other man's smile was a thin sliver gleaming in the moonlight. "Do you think you can trust me?"

Cid laughed sharply. "Of course not. You're exactly the type that worries me. But until you start killing us in our sleep things should be fine."

"Good to hear it." Vincent's expression softened in the instant before it turned away and fell into shadow. "Link isn't doing much better. This incident bothered him. I think I would have felt the same way, if I'd experienced it at his age."

"He'll be fine. I'd be more worried if he _wasn't _a bit traumatized. Once he gets over it he can have fun killing people like the rest of society."

"How many more Links do you think we'll need to kill?" The question hung heavily, making the warm air oppressive. But the silence was only delaying the inevitable.

"As many as necessary."

Vincent said nothing, staring from the side of the ship into the dark waters below. Cid considered asking several questions but decided now wasn't the time. They understood too little and the potential stakes were too high. Even though he wanted to go back to sleep, he stayed up and stared at the ship for a long time.

* * *

Nothing in particular woke him up, but at some point Link found himself staring up at the ceiling over his bed. Would it have been a weekend yet? He traditionally refused to get out of bed early when he didn't have to, but this was the first time he couldn't move. Somehow his chaotic thoughts had faded into bloody dreams and though light was streaming through his small window he couldn't believe he had slept at all.

Eventually he sat up, raising his hands to look at them. They were no different than ever before. Somehow everything from the previous day felt distant, his memories clear but in black and white. They had fought and the monsters had died. So had Captain, but regardless of how he felt about that there was nothing he could do. No choice but to move forward…

It was kind of sad, though. He had been a Link, just like them. It seemed likely he had his own quest and battles and efforts… all gone. Even if he hadn't been one of the heroic Links, his life was still gone. How many of them were there in this place? Were the majority of them good, or had he just gotten lucky with the ones he encountered?

After a few minutes he realized he had been mindlessly staring at the walls and shook himself. Time to get up and do something. Anything. Getting off the bunk he realized that he was still wearing his blood-stained t-tunic and the fact barely bothered him. Yawning a few times, he wandered from his room and up the stairs to the deck.

For the first several seconds he was completely blind, flinching away from the sun blasting down at his eyes. Noon already? As his eyes regained their function he saw that the other three were already on deck and apparently waiting, Hero sitting and looking immensely bored. Vincent glanced over his shoulder and smiled slightly.

"Good, you're up. I was wondering if we should wake you sometime."

"What's going on?" he muttered. Cid jerked a hand forward and Link's eyes obediently followed the gesture. There was a ship with a small white sail some distance in front of them. Further into the distance was what appeared to be a rather large island. From this distance he couldn't tell much about it other than there weren't mountains and it might have forests. "Who's in the little ship?"

"We don't know. One would guess it's another Link, however."

"This sucks," Hero grumbled. "The more versions of me show up the less special I get."

"Oh, you're plenty special," Cid offered without turning. "In any case, we're going to reach the island today and so should be prepared for anything. On that subject, Link, are you hurt at all? Vincent seems to be able to heal people, though slowly."

"Uh, no, I think I'm fine." His body was a bit sore, but he doubted that was a very big deal in this company. "I'm sorry about yesterday."

"Don't worry about it," Vincent shrugged. "We don't expect you to become a hero overnight. The fact that we barely had to help you is pretty good by itself."

"Just don't try to fight anyone in a green cap," Cid added, finally turning to look at the others.

"What… er, what happened to Captain?" Link asked, looking between the others. "Did you throw him off the side or something?"

"That is something you should never, ever do. No, I stabbed him in the head, cut through his spine several times, and then tied up the body in the hold. But speaking of which," Cid went on casually, "we should reorganize weapons."

"Specifically, this thing." Vincent produced a strange metal object in one hand. It had a handle on one end and a spike on the other; Link thought he might have seen something similar in a sports magazine, but there was no way he'd remember the name. "I've been playing around with it for a while, but I don't think I could get used to it in combat."

"I don't like it."

"Other than Cid, anyone have a thought?"

"Mine!" Hero leapt up to reach for the item, which was hurriedly given to him. "Hey, Link, check this out!" A second later the hook shot from the weapon and Link barely threw himself to the side. He tried to reach for a sword but found nothing, a move instantly noted by the others. Hero spent a few minutes trying to figure out how to properly retract the chain and the conversation moved on.

"Hero and I are keeping our swords, of course," Cid continued. "All the Moblins had was spears, but we did get our hands on another sword."

"This will do for the time being." Vincent pulled Captain's sword from its sheath and examined the edge carefully. "Not quite like mine, but very well made."

"That leaves this for you." Link was startled as the smaller sword was thrust toward him, held by the blade. It was the same one he had gotten from one of the Moblin crew. He might have used it to kill the one that gave it to him. Swallowing, he took the weapon and then held it awkwardly. Getting a sheath and belt might be a good idea.

The island seemed to crawl toward them, inching closer as if reluctant to appear. At some point the small ship slipped to the side and vanished inside a craggy area. Cid and Vincent decided that it was better to keep moving forward and try to ground themselves on the beach area directly ahead. No one felt like arguing. Even Hero seemed focused, eyes fixed on the shoreline.

When the boat ran up against the bottom of the ocean the lurch nearly threw Link from his feet. Abruptly the ship was no longer rocking and he realized just how much he had gotten used to it. At least he wasn't feeling sick again. While Cid found an anchor to drop over the side Vincent went to pull in the sail as much as possible, though they had no idea if they'd need the ship again.

Eventually they were ready and made their way to the shore. Though miserably wet, Link found he couldn't focus on himself for long. The sand on the beach was extremely white and fine, almost like crystals. It did not extend far before patches of grass started appearing and soon formed a thick green carpet. He thought there might be some sort of path in the distance but he couldn't tell. If he was right it ran about parallel to the thick forest to the right of the beachfront.

"Well that was uneventful," Vincent commented with a sigh. "I half-expected to get assaulted the instant we set foot on the island."

"Whoever was in the other ship is still nearby," Cid reminded them. "For the moment I suggest we get well away from this open area."

No one seemed inclined to argue, so they began trudging forward. There did turn out to be a path alongside the forest, though it didn't look like it had seen heavy use. More like it had been placed there recently, built by some invisible hand. Link started to think about what this might mean and quickly abandoned the line of thought. Everything about this scenario was bizarre and he'd give himself a headache if he tried to analyze too much.

At first only a few trees were on the left side of the path, but slowly more of them were appearing and eventually the forest had begun to swallow them. The fact that it did this at around the same time as light began to fade was very little comfort and Link's hand was becoming sore from tightly gripping his sword.

"Too dark to see," Hero muttered. Cid made a low noise.

"We could use a lantern, but I didn't have mine when this happened. Deal."

That was all the conversation that occurred until Cid abruptly froze. Behind him Link couldn't see why and nearly tripped trying to stop in time. Hero pulled his sword wildly and Vincent adopted a ready stance, but Cid held up a hand.

"Look ahead," he whispered. In the distance a soft light could be seen flickering between the trees. It seemed almost like there was a clearing of some sort not far off the path ahead. Link remembered what had happened when he'd approached Cid's camp under similar circumstances but thought better of saying anything. They already knew. "Vincent, you circle from the right; I'll take left. You two approach the fire from the front at a slow pace."

"Stealthily?" Hero asked.

"Sure. Whatever."

Link tried to keep his eyes from widening and knew he probably failed. Acting as bait was not what he'd prefer, but he had to admit that stealth was probably beyond him. How was it even possible for someone to walk in a forest without making tons of noise? There were leaves and sticks and even footsteps made a sound… when he glanced to the side he discovered that Cid and Vincent were already gone.

As they approached the fire he began hearing soft music. A harp, maybe? It was some kind of stringed instrument, being played in a flowing and complex rhythm. He could tell the music was coming from the fire but the shadows made it impossible to tell how many people were seated around it or where they sat. Still, it didn't sound like a bad song. Surely no one who played such music could be that bad?

Only a few more trees now. Doing his best to be quiet, Link peeked toward the fire. His eyes hadn't adjusted yet, but something didn't seem quite right. Before he could figure it out Hero charged into the camp and with a loud cry brought his sword down upon the source of the music. A harp crashed into pieces but that was all. Hero was standing alone in the middle of the camp alongside the fire.

For a moment Link stared in horror, then there was an explosion of movement. A shield hurtled from the side of the camp, hitting Hero in the face and sending him falling back. Someone emerged from the shadows over him, blade at his throat. The figure turned to stare at Cid and Vincent, halting their movement from the sides of the camp.

"Set down your weapons or this one dies." The stranger's voice was soft but completely serious. From his position behind the man, Link couldn't tell what color his clothes were but there was an unmistakable cap falling down his back.

Ignoring his warning, Cid took another step forward, his blade carefully beginning to move from its sheath. Seeing this, the stranger took his blade away from Hero's throat and held it before him, stopping the advance. No one dared to move, eyes on the others and hands on weapons. Abruptly the new Link sighed.

"I guess I chose the wrong hostage." He sheathed his sword and walked past Cid to sit at the fire. "There's no way I can take both of you. If you're not going to kill me sit down. The kid can come too."

There was a moment of stunned silence, then Vincent chuckled softly, taking his hands off his blade. "I can honestly say I hope we don't meet any more Links, if they're all like this." The other man laughed as well, shaking his head.

"I was planning to meet you more normally, but when you snuck up on me… well, let me merely say I have been given reason to be suspicious."

"So who are you?" Cid demanded. He had replaced his sword and folded his arms, but he stood at the edge of the clearing instead of sitting down. The newest Link glanced up at him between locks of hair and shrugged.

"Did you really need to ask?"

- - - - -

Sorry if the first scene is confusing to any of you. I thought it would be more appropriate to have the battle as one scene than to divide it every time the point of view changed, but that may have muddled things. As the story progresses this will be less of a problem.

Some of you probably saw the major event of this chapter coming long ago, but hopefully for others it will show the kind of story I intended to write. Don't think that it will descend into morbid darkness, however; the story is intended to be balanced throughout.

To answer another general question: yes, the Link from every game will appear. Not at once, though, or the story would get bogged down in characters pretty fast. But you should be able to identify the origin of all the characters that appear eventually.


	5. Minish Iniquity

Chapter 4: Minish Iniquity

"Given that names mean precious little in this place, I'm going by Ulrira."

Link watched the newcomer as he continued speaking, getting a decent look at him for the first time now that no one was acting murderous. Ulrira was built from the same mold as the others, though his hair was grown out a bit longer and his tunic was a deep blue. Other than the sword on his back, he didn't appear to be carrying any weapons. His eyes, though, seemed bottomless, observing everything silently.

All of them were sitting around the fire by this point. He was glad for the heat, letting him dry off from their arrival at the island. After introductions and a lengthy tangent in which Hero attempted to assault Ulrira, they had settled down and eaten a late supper. Cid had spoken little and now sat hunched by the fire, whittling a piece of wood down to a thin stick. Vincent seemed relaxed, hands clasped over his knee, but Link had a feeling he was still suspicious. Throughout the night Hero continued to shoot dirty glances in their hosts' direction to no particular effect.

"This brings the total up to eight," he continued, glancing at them. "I'm not sure how many Links are here, but I expect far more than that."

"And where exactly is here?" Cid didn't look up, his knife continuing to flick at the wood.

"Who can know? The Sacred Realm? A land of dreams?" Ulrira made a sweeping gesture and sighed. "Everyone has the same story, as I'm sure you've discovered. Though I have spoken with two others, none of them knew more than our common experience. We've been exploring this island and I was mapping the coast when I saw your ship."

"So it was you!" Hero exclaimed, proud of his deduction. This exclamation was not acknowledged in the slightest.

"You can guess the story from there, so there is no need to elaborate. But come, don't allow me to dominate the conversation. Your stories are likely to be valuable to us, being the first people to arrive from off this island."

"I'm not sure how useful it will be," Vincent answered slowly. "We ran into each other fairly quickly the first day and traveled to the coast. There we encountered another Link with a ship and that took us here."

"Another?" One of Ulrira's eyebrows rose.

"Yes, he called himself Captain. But after we had been out to sea for several days it became obvious something was wrong. His crew didn't feel human to me, he was lying about where we were going, and he seemed focused on something… in any case, eventually he attacked us and…"

"I killed him," Cid ended flatly. "He was definitely a Link, but something had gone wrong. His crew was Moblins and he was controlling them somehow. I don't know if that's an ability he got in his world, but it rubs me the wrong way."

"Troubling. Do you mind if I play?" Ulrira reached into his pack and pulled out a small harp. No one said anything, so he quickly tuned the strings and then began playing softly. The melody was different than the one that had lured them to the camp and Link thought it was being better played. For almost a minute Ulrira's eyes were closed and then he opened them slowly, glancing up at all of them. "Tell me everything else you think might be relevant. Refuse if you must, but I ask that you not lie to me."

"Fair enough. Captain said this was the afterlife, but I don't know how seriously we should take him."

"I doubt that." His fingers floated over the harp gracefully but the rest of his body barely moved. "I have yet to encounter someone who was in a dangerous situation prior to arriving here. While death can come quickly, I have reasons to believe this is not the case. No, I believe we were actually transported across dimensions to this place."

"That leads to the obvious questions," Vincent spoke up. "Who and why?"

"How should we know?" Hero demanded. Various glances were exchanged and Cid grunted.

"For once, he's right. At this point everything will be groundless speculation."

"There is also a less obvious question," Ulrira said softly, nonetheless drawing their attention. "Where did this Captain acquire his ship? Even with Moblin help it would be next to impossible to build such a vessel in only a few days. Furthermore, unless he was merely jumping to conclusions, one must wonder why he believed us all dead."

"I don't think he did." Cid had finished whittling and put the stick in his mouth. While everyone else waited for him to explain he calmly picked up another piece of wood and began working on it. "That was probably a lie to throw us off."

"That was my thought as well. The question, then, is regarding his agenda."

"Wait a second," Link managed to force himself to speak up, not wanting to get too far behind. "You're implying that Captain was working for someone else? Like, whoever sent us all here?"

"That is a real possibility," Ulrira nodded, eyes shifting for the first time and resting on him a few seconds. "But we lack any information to clarify."

"Not exactly. We have this." Cid reached into his tunic and pulled out the dark shard with two fingers. Though the firelight flickered over its surface none of it seemed reflected.

"I was wondering when you were going to show us that," Vincent commented, folding his arms. "We're guessing this was Captain's objective."

"At first I just took it because he wanted it, but I think it'll be important sometime." As he spoke he turned it over in his fingers slowly. "Right now I can't see any real use, but it's always good to keep shiny crap."

"We have yet to discover anything like that," Ulrira informed them, hands stopping momentarily as he examined the object across the fire. His gaze shifted back to the flames and he began playing again, lost in thought. "I will see if I can gather any more information about it. Considering that it appears to be a piece of something larger, one could expect to find more."

"Yeah."

"So what will happen now?" Vincent asked, glancing at the others. "Do we have anything to indicate which way we should go?"

"I do not." The musician shook his head just slightly. "Traditionally one would enter a town and begin asking, but this place seems short on inhabitants. I plan to continue exploring the coast. Do you know what you will do?"

"Keep heading inland." Taking the stick out of his mouth for a moment, Cid looked down and into the fire. "Captain said something about going toward an island. There had to have been a reason for that."

"I hate this," Hero muttered. "Everything's so much easier when you can stay in one place and have something to defend. Running around on vague whims is stupid."

"Like other things I could name."

"What is that supposed to mean, huh? You trying to start a fight again? Cause I'll totally take you, right he-"

"I have a limited amount of information for you," Ulrira interrupted. "My previous contacts said they thought there was some sort of temple in the center of the island. You can reach it if you head north, where you'll find a bridge spanning a chasm. Be cautious there. From some of the things they said, I have misgivings. There may be someone there who does not have our best interest in mind. Go with grace."

Cid gave this a raised eyebrow but no further information was given. Nothing around him seemed to exist for Ulrira, who sat frozen at the fire, melody expanding over the camp. After there had been no further conversation for some time the song began to shift to a softer and gentler tune. Link heard them start discussing who would take watch but drifted to sleep before Hero even began to argue.

* * *

Again with the marching.

He sighed and shifted his pack to a more comfortable position. Somehow the long boring walks never made it into the stories. At least he was doing better than before. Had it really been only a week or so since they'd met? For whatever reason, his feet were barely sore and he wasn't tired yet, though he couldn't keep up this pace all day.

They had parted with Ulrira in the morning, most of the words being exchanged before Link had woken up. It was strange how quiet everyone was, as if there was nothing to say. Hero had kept somewhat of a running monologue just to fill the silence before Cid had suggested he cease if he wished to avoid massive harm to his person. Now they had been walking for some time, the forest giving way to a flat grassy area.

It came to him instantly, making him jerk enough to merit a concerned glance from Vincent. He knew what had been bugging him for so long: there was no background noise. Even though this was a far cry from his city, there shouldn't be silence. There didn't appear to be any birds or small animals, seen or heard. Then again, they had eaten some kind of meat both meals, which was presumably animal. Presumably.

"Lovely," Cid spoke up, glancing over his shoulder. Vincent moved forward and raised a hand over his eyes to look.

"Not a very sturdy bridge," he observed. Link and Hero sped up after them to look as well, though it was still far off.

"A perfect place to hold off an army, I was thinking. If there's a gorge this large it probably runs across most of the island, which means people will tend to congregate at the bridges, assuming there are any others. The less time we can spend here the better."

Soon they got closer and Link had to agree with their assessment. For one, the ground seemed to stop almost instantly, grass one second and a chasm the next. He could see the bottom but was not eager to do so further, especially not from a closer vantage point. It was much too wide a gap for him to jump and the only bridge seemed rickety. They'd be crossing one at a time, he hoped, or preferably not at all.

"Greetings, gentlemen." As a voice echoed from nowhere, Link began to suspect his wish might have been granted. This brought to mind a phrase that was very little comfort. Just beside him Vincent's hands slid to his side where he had strapped the borrowed sword; the others were also on alert as the voice continued. "My, that didn't go well. I mean you no harm, but let me offer a gesture of goodwill."

The appearance was as ordinary as someone materializing out of thin air could possibly be. No glow, no fade in, no sound. One second only the four of them were standing on the path and the next someone was standing just in front of the bridge. His physical appearance was also unsurprising, though Link thought something seemed strange about his cap. From this perspective, however, he looked like any of them.

"I have been waiting for more Links to arrive," he explained with a slight bow, "but I didn't mean to startle you."

"You did a wonderful job of that," Cid told him dryly. The new Link smiled apologetically and raised his hands on either side of him.

"I try. But hear me out; I want to help you. If you're like me, you were pretty confused upon arriving here. There are people who are going to help us, though."

"Help us do what?" Vincent asked his question without leaving his stance, face gentle but eyes unblinking.

"I never realized it, but there is terrible evil corrupting all our worlds. There's a group that's been trying to combat it and they want to gather all the Links to help. They explained everything to me and even gave me this hat. Better than anything from the legend by far. Together I think we can change things, free ourselves."

"Funny, how these terrible evils keep cropping up." Cid answered, deliberately lifting his hand to grip the hilt of his sword. "The way you're talking kind of reminds me of someone I knew. I'm not joining any shadowy organizations until I learn a bit more about them."

"But of course. I'm sure they'd be glad to answer all your-" He cut off, glancing toward Link as the young man gave a slight cry. Throughout the conversation he had been edging to the side and just then had gotten a glimpse of the man's hood. It seemed normal but ended in the form of a bird hanging limply against his back, dead eyes staring at nothing. In his sharp movement it spun to the side for all to see.

"Lovely cap you have there." Now the sword came from its sheath. "Sign us up. I have no qualms about any organization that gives gifts like that."

"No, don't misunderstand!" The new Link took a step backward, sweat on the side of his face. "The old order is wrong. We Links are trapped inside, but they might actually be able to destroy it if we can-" Something sparkling flew from the side, forcing him to cut off his sentence. In an instant he drew his sword and shattered it, morbid cap flying in the movement.

"You Links are too talkative." A short distance away stood another arrival, this one a young woman. Her hair was bright blue, sprouting from the back of her head. The clothing around her body reminded Link of foreign fashion, but he never paid much attention to that so he wasn't sure what country. Goron, maybe? Geurdo? In any case, she was ignoring their entire group. "You've already helped us enough. No need to complicate things."

"But don't you want to recruit more Links?"

"Don't be a fool." She glanced over at them, eyes narrow and cold. "These ones are too mired in the system. It'd be better to just put them out of their misery." There was a clanking noise and abruptly a spike shot toward her forehead. The woman glided backward, not quite touching the ground, and the metal tip reached its limit just before her face.

The chain jerked back to the hookshot and Link reflexively followed it with his eyes. Hero was standing to the side, facing the new arrival with sword in one hand, new weapon in the other, and anger in his expression. "Stop talking like we're not here!" he demanded.

"Oh, please. Is the little hero angry?" With a cry of rage Hero rushed her. Simultaneously Cid swept forward at the Link, blade cutting horizontally. Just before it struck, his target disappeared entirely. After freezing a second, Cid rolled forward. It was fortunate he did so, because soon after a sword appeared where his back had been, held by the grinning newcomer.

Faster than Link could see, Vincent darted forward, drawing his sword in the motion. His slash nicked the edge of the bizarre cap as the other man barely evaded. The next second he disappeared again and Vincent halted, absolutely motionless. When a blade came slashing at his head out of thin air he stepped back, letting it whistle past his eyes. Instantly he counterattacked, but the blow was blocked as well.

With gritted teeth, the other man grabbed the edge of his cap. He vanished, revealing Cid behind him, blade hacking through what would have been his neck. Recovering his balance, he shifted so as to be back to back with Vincent. Link smiled, realizing their strategy, but this expression died as Cid cast him a dark glance. No…

He had a split second impression of a tiny sword hurtling at him. There would have been no way for him to dodge it, but he was already moving. Instead of disappearing again his opponent continued to attack, nearly disarming Link with the first blow. It took all his control not to strike back wildly. The second blow hit and drove him back a half-step. Faster than he thought someone could move the blade shifted, moving to slide under his and through his stomach.

It vanished just before connecting, as Vincent had struck from behind. There were a few seconds of tense silence before a green blur appeared from the side, stabbing for his head. Abruptly Cid's hand closed around the sword. Blood dripped from his fingers, but the look in his eyes made the other man shiver. In his second of hesitation he was tackled by Cid, though in the process of falling he vanished again. When he reappeared it was to stab the ground where his opponent's head had been moments earlier.

Link found he couldn't move. Any second could bring a swift death. What was he supposed to do, over his head like this? He noticed after a moment that Vincent wasn't moving either, his sword sheathed again and eyes watching the combat.

"When you get a chance, attack him from behind," the older man ordered without so much as a glance. "I don't want to put you in this situation, but Hero is busy. All you need to do is get him to use his ability again. I'll handle the rest."

Swallowing, Link managed to nod, not daring to speak. A short distance away, Cid was bleeding from one arm and his tunic was hanging in tatters, the mail beneath sparking ominously. His opponent appeared behind him the next moment, blow glancing off his back. It wasn't the best opportunity, but it would have to do. With a loud cry Link rushed forward, wildly swinging overhead.

As he'd expected, the other man vanished. It was as if he saw everything in slow motion, his sword still moving toward the ground. The illusion would pass in a moment; he would hit nothing and feel a sword impaling him from behind. Suddenly Vincent was standing opposite him, eyes flashing and hand on his sword. Before Link's weapon had even touched the soil a strike was released, creating a blinding line in the air. A small amount of blood splattered in the air, falling slowly…

Suddenly it was over. Link fell backward, his sword dropping from his hands. Vincent was standing to the side, replacing his sword with a calm expression on his face. There was something quite small on the grass, almost like a blood spatter or – it was obscured the next second as Cid lunged from the side, foot stomping whatever it had been.

There was a faint wail and then a body materialized where Cid had stomped. Link threw his hands before his face and closed his eyes, but the split second image he had seen was almost enough to make him lose the lunch he had eaten. It had barely resembled a human body anymore, split down the middle and crushed beyond recognition.

"Cheap trick," Cid muttered. He nudged the bizarre cap with his foot and tensed as it crumbled to ash. Before he could examine it any further he felt a disturbing stillness from Vincent and looked up. Link looked as well, happy for any distraction.

Hero was on his knees, gasping for air and bloodied. The blue-haired woman didn't seem injured or even fatigued. As they watched she raised a hand and carelessly fired an icy bolt. It grazed Hero's ear as he leapt forward, blade swinging. Link thought he saw the woman's eyes blaze a brilliant blue, but in any case the next moment the sword seemed to freeze. She struck forward, shattering the blade and sending him onto his back.

Turning away from the fallen warrior, she glanced toward the others and blue light began humming in her palms.

"Easy there, Koume." Another voice entered the conversation without an apparent body. The next moment there was an explosion of fire and a man appeared not far from the woman. He was dressed almost identically and they had very similar features, but his hair was a bright red beyond human norms. "We have what we came for."

"Shouldn't we just kill them?" Koume asked. "We will later anyway."

"Four Links would be a bit of a pain, even together. Besides, we wouldn't want to risk loss of the Shard. Let's just get the hat guy and leave."

"He died."

"Oh, so I see." The man had turned to look at them, observing the mangled corpse. "He finished the Minish part, though, so we got what we needed. Just as well. Let's go."

"Hold it," Cid interrupted, stepping forward and casually leaning his sword on his shoulders. "Just going to waltz off before the battle is over?"

"That's the plan." He gave a bow and a mocking smile. "My name is Kotake. You may have heard it. Some of the other Links have been surprised, at least. No? It doesn't matter."

"They'll get killed off by Valoo anyway," Koume muttered, looking down. The end of these words were almost lost as a pillar of flame erupted around Kotake, followed moments later by a column of ice surrounding her. Both elements seemed to twist and intertwine and then they were gone.

* * *

Those of you who were completely confused by the Captain part of the story, don't worry. If you're still entirely lost after this chapter, that's a different issue. Most of the clues for the first phase of the story are on the table by this point. Not everything will make sense, of course, but many of the loose ends were addressed here.

Some were not... but many questions about the world will be answered in the next chapter.


	6. Temple of Worlds

Chapter 5: Temple of Worlds

"Damn," Cid summarized eloquently. Returning his sword to its sheath, he dropped back to sit on the ground. Not far away Vincent relaxed his grip on his sword and moved to take care of Hero, who was moaning on the ground. Link just stood there for a while, trying to absorb everything that had happened.

He didn't like the direction things seemed to be going. There was something terribly wrong about that dead hat, which made him worry even more about whoever had given it. So far he had met twice as many good Links as bad ones, but that was fairly little comfort. Whatever had caused this didn't care if someone had been a legendary hero. Here none of that seemed to matter. It was pure coincidence that the Links who had died happened to be the ones that had been corrupted; the rest of them were just as vulnerable.

"Attrition is going to be a problem." It was Cid again, rising to his feet and brushing dirt off his pants. "Rest can help some, but this is going to take a toll. Too bad the Sacred Realm doesn't seem to have any fairies. Magic would be helpful right about now."

"I managed to reduce the extent of the injuries," Vincent reported, standing up as well. Hero seemed to be stirring and grumbling under his breath. "That's the best I can do."

"In the meantime, let's get across this bridge. I don't want any other crackpots showing up and breaking the thing before we can get to the other side. Right now I think our best option is to keep pressing for the temple. If we ever find any healing magic, though, I don't care whose it is – we're taking all of it."

"Or we could use a better healer." Vincent was looking skyward, voice as distant as he appeared. "If only Di-"

"What happened?" Hero was sitting up, looking around blearily.

"We figured out that the Link who kept disappearing was actually shrinking, which made it easy to kill him," Cid explained. "Then the ice girl turned out to have a fire mage for a brother, but they left. We might have been able to kill them too, but you screwed up your battle pretty royally."

"Well, excuuuse m-"

"You are not excused. Anyway, we plan to keep walking. I don't want to hear another word out of you, especially about your injuries. Chances are I have a broken rib or two, but if you can manage to shut up I'll be happy."

* * *

This occurred, but Cid's expression remained dour for the rest of the day. He was still scowling when they stopped to make camp, but Link was far too exhausted to care. The battle had taken a lot out of him, so the rest of the trip had been excruciating. Given that he didn't think the broken ribs thing was a bluff, he didn't mention it.

When he woke up the next day he regretted it, but the aches covering his body refused to allow him to take back the false step. Seeing he had no choice but to get up, he forced himself to eat something before they set off. Thank the Goddesses they were only traveling across an island instead of a continent or something.

By the middle of the day they spotted it, unless there were a bunch of temples other than the one Ulrira mentioned lying around. As they walked it seemed to grow more than Link thought it had a right to from just perspective. The white stone structure wasn't all that tall, but it loomed above the surrounding prairie. Somehow the sun did not reflect off the surfaces, so despite the light color it seemed foreboding. It reminded him of a tomb, which was always a cheerful thought.

"I'm looking forward to this," Cid sighed.

"You are?" Hero looked at him with a puzzled expression until the stare he got in return made him look away.

"I take it you've had your fair share of dungeons too?" Vincent asked. The other nodded and grunted, eyes fixed on the approaching structure.

"Dungeon? Like, with traps, monsters, and treasure?" The others looked back at Link, though not particularly harshly. He had read about this kind of thing but never given it much thought before. "Who would build that kind of thing?"

"Eccentric people with too much time and money," Cid answered matter-of-factly. "There are more of those than you would think. Sounds like you have something to look forward to in life even after this mess is done."

By now the white maw was almost upon them. The entrance was a high arch, spanned by words written in a language he didn't recognize. Cid and Vincent moved to the front, creeping down the narrow corridor and examining the walls and floor carefully. Nothing eventful happened, however, before the hallway opened into a large room. Several large blocks rested on the floor and Link could see at least three unlit torches.

"Déjà vu," Cid muttered. They began to move into the room, examining it thoroughly, when there was an abrupt grinding noise. A section of the wall began moving up, revealing a pair of boots. These gave way to loose pants and a green tunic. Everyone began reaching for weapons, but they halted at the final revelation: this Link was very old, balding but with silver hair ringing his head and falling down his shoulders.

"Don't bother," he told them gruffly. "We already got this puzzle figured out."

"That's a good way to start a conversation. Who are you?"

"The younger versions of me have taken to calling me Gramps, so I suppose that'll have to do for now." Though his face was lined and wrinkled, he still moved easily and Link had a feeling that arthritis would not prevent him from drawing the sword on his back. "Looks like Ulrira was right."

"Ah, so you're the ones he spoke about earlier?" Vincent let go of his sword and walked closer to the other man, leading the others to begin following. Gramps nodded and turned to move back down the corridor.

"Yeah. I told him he was wastin' his time and we should just go for temples, but he wanted to explore the island. Guess he can send anybody else that shows up this way, at least."

Something that had been bugging Link for a while finally began to fall into place. The previous room had been lit by several small torches on the walls and the corridor had been dark, but for a little while they'd been walking in corridors with no apparent light source. While that was preferable to shadows, it did make him uneasy.

"I reckoned we had this temple just about licked," Gramps continued, gesturing vaguely, "but then we found this place. To be honest, I have no idea where to go from here."

"We?" Cid asked.

"Yeah. Another young feller. He wasn't so bad, really, for a kid. But here we are. Tell me if this makes any more sense to any of you." Just then they passed into a larger room and Link had to skip forward to avoid the wall grating down after them. This room was also lit strangely, but that barely made an impression on his mind. It was circular with a raised dais in the center. Four hallways moved in the cardinal directions, but they had come out a secret passage in the wall.

"Where are we?" Vincent breathed, beginning to walk slowly around the room.

"Center of the place, we think," Gramps answered, walking toward the dais. "There's this confounded thing that Vio thinks will be used for something later, but I'm more worried about the hallways."

"Vio?"

"What about the hallways?" Cid asked simultaneously.

"See for yourself." Everyone swiveled to look toward one, where another man in green was walking. Nothing seemed unusual about him, not in this company, but Link assumed he must be the "Vio" person Gramps had mentioned. As he continued walking in, he pulled a bag from behind his back. "I got a bunch of potions like you said. Looks like we'll be using some of them a bit early."

"This is Vio," Gramps introduced. "Is everyone here so straightforward and rude? I can't imagine how all your worlds have gotten along with heroes like you."

"Did Ulrira send you?" Vio asked, giving them a brief smile. "That's good, I guess. Gramps isn't much for conversation, at least when it involves other people talking."

"Give me one of those," Cid's outstretched hand made one wonder how much he was asking, but Vio flipped him a small red bottle carelessly. Draining it in one shot, Cid wiped his mouth and nodded. The front of his tunic was already knitting itself together and the blood stains on his body were fading. "Thanks. Make sure the idiot with brown hair gets one too; he needs it more than me."

"What idiot?" Hero looked around, prompting Vio to toss a potion his direction as well.

"So just what is the situation here?" He placed a stick in his mouth and swiveled it with his teeth as he looked between Gramps and Vio. "Well?"

"We got here several days ago," the latter explained, walking closer to the group and setting down his bag. "It didn't take us all that long to figure this place out. As you'd expect, there was something big and nasty in the basement guarding something important. At least it's theoretically important." By this point he was next to the dais, and Vio stopped to look down at it. Curious, Link moved forward to look as well.

The stone surface appeared worn, setting it apart from the rest of the building. There were no scratches or other marks, just a homogenous old look. At the center of the circular platform was an embossed Triforce, almost large enough for the points to reach the circle. More noticeably, the triangle inside the three was a lowered area. From his perspective, a small jagged portion of the top seemed to be filled in with dark marble.

"Forget this thing," Gramps interrupted. "This might be important later, but the doors are an issue right now." Having gotten their attention, he cleared his throat loudly and continued. "Down each hallway are a lot of doors, each one a bit different. That worried us, because we'd never been here before and thought the temple was twice as large. When we came into that first room, it actually led us to a staircase and we spent all our time in the basement, see? It's more normal down there, with your usual monsters and-"

"Each door is actually a portal," Vio interrupted. The others reacted instantly, Hero loudest.

"To different worlds?" he gasped. "You mean we can go back?"

"Possibly. They're not labeled or anything, so it took me half a day to find my world. But I don't think we can just go back. When I did things were intact but there were a lot of monsters, as many as when they were all released originally. Just because we can-"

"Princess! I'm coming!" Hero dashed off into the nearest corridor. Everyone followed him with their eyes and then turned back toward each other.

"It's obviously starting another quest," Gramps began. "I don't like it. Something's up with all of this."

"My theory is that this is the final dungeon," Vio explained, gesturing toward the dais. "But we need to fill in the center and unite all three parts of the Triforce."

"Since when are there three?"

"Regardless, we found a shard of something at the bottom of the dungeon. It would make sense that there are others. Maybe we need to go look for them off this island or maybe other Links will find them elsewhere."

"Strange," Cid muttered, fingering the dark shard before setting it back down in the indention. His voice betrayed nothing, but Link could see his eyes were rather narrow. "Any idea what it is?"

"None at all. As far as I can tell it doesn't serve any purpose, but it certainly seems to be part of a larger shape and it does fit into the dais. I was kind of hoping other Links we met would be able to tell us more, but apparently not. You're sure you don't know anything?"

While Cid shrugged Vincent stepped forward, looking at Vio intently. "You say that you found your world among the doors… might I be able to find my world?"

"I reckon so," Gramps answered from the side. "I found my door – first on the left in the east hallway – but I'm not gonna head back until we're done here. Maybe there's a door for each person here?"

"Excuse me for a moment, then, I'm going to go look." Vincent glanced down at Link and smiled slightly. "Do you want to come with me? I imagine you're pretty homesick by now."

Link swallowed and shook his head, but eagerly followed Vincent down one of the hallways. Behind them, he heard Cid muttering about calculating the total number of Links based on doors. He was too focused to care. Could he really find his own door and head home? It wouldn't be like leaving would inconvenience the others at all; it would probably make their job easier. Even if this had something to do with him, would there be anything wrong with letting the others take care of it?

As Gramps had said, the hallway was indeed filled with doors, all several long paces from each other. There were about a dozen down this hallway, which ended in a boring stone wall. Each door seemed a bit different, in size, design, and color. Vincent moved to the first door on the right and opened it carefully.

Light shone from within, normal sunlight that fell into the hallway. Through the doorway Link could see a pleasant meadow, practically interchangeable with any other good-natured locale. This could take a while. As he craned his neck to look around in side, Vincent slowly moved his hand through the frame. Nothing happened. After pulling his hand back and examining it for a second, Vincent stepped through, feet resting on the grass as feet were wont to do. Link was about to follow him when he abruptly returned, closing the door behind him.

"Not this one," he explained curtly. Brushing past Link without even looking at him, he moved to the next door and began to repeat the process. Not as confident in his ability to recognize his own world, Link began strolling down the hallway slowly, just looking at the doors. Were they somehow representative of the world they led to? He could see that they were made of multiple kinds of wood, others seemed older or beaten, one almost looked like it had been cut out of a tree. Since his world seemed more technologically advanced than the others, would it have a more modern door?

That was a theory, anyway. He could always just start opening doors and looking for skyscrapers, but there was no guarantee there weren't other worlds like his. After all, it would be pretty arrogant to think he was unique, right? One door was made of pure white wood and obviously well-crafted, so he decided to give it a shot.

The knob turned easily in his hand, letting the door glide open without a sound. Though the other side looked like pristine wilderness, it was pleasant enough. Surprisingly bright, the sun shining into his eyes and also off the ground for some reason. A bitterly cold wind made him shudder and when he looked up he shivered for an entirely different reason. Some of the light was reflecting off bones, bleached white in the sun. Without entirely knowing why Link slammed the door closed, backing away from it swiftly.

Eager to occupy himself with something else, he looked around and discovered he had reached the end of the hallway. Just the boring wall again… though something made him look a second time. Part of the wall didn't look right, as if it had been added later. Pulling his sword from its sheath, he experimentally tapped on the wall, checking for hollow sounds. There weren't any, but the central part of the wall did make more of a low ring, almost like a note.

Some of the rocks seemed to be loose, so Link tried to wedge his sword between the stone and pull them free. To his surprise, as the first pebbles began to roll from the mortar, the entire wall began to crumble. It fell inward, apparently vanishing without cause. This was the least of his concerns at the moment.

Beyond the wall was darkness. There seemed to be shadowy contours of land, covered in black mists, but the light to see it might have been from his side of the door. In the sky the clouds were ominous, frozen above in great sheets. Something glowed black behind them, a dark mockery of a sun that failed to illuminate anything. His breath stolen from him, Link began to step backward unconsciously.

"Hey, watch it!" Hero cursed under his breath and continued mumbling and the spell was broken. After bumping into him Link almost lost his balance but by the time he managed to turn around his thoughts from a moment ago had sunk from the conscious level of his mind.

"Sorry," he muttered. He didn't really have any respect for the other man, so it was easy to forget that Hero was still a lot stronger than him.

"That's alright!" The other grinned and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the main room. "You've gotta see this!"

"See what?"

"You'll see!"

"That's… not really helpful." Try as he might, though, Link couldn't escape Hero's grip and thus was forced into a stumbling run after him. They moved through the main room, meriting a glance from the others, who were still talking in low voices around the dais. As they entered the corridor Hero slowed slightly, looking over at the younger man.

"I found it! I just had to show somebody, but everybody else would be too uptight to appreciate how awesome it is. You're still young, though. You seem alright."

"Wait, you mean…?"

Their voices faded down the corridor. In the center, Cid paused for a moment, then cursed and turned, slamming his fist on the dais.

"What's wrong?" Vio asked. He was waved aside.

"Oh, don't worry about it. Just have to deal with an idiot. Vincent!" His call was answered several seconds later as the man stepped from one of the corridors and raised an eyebrow. Cid stalked toward him. "I'm pretty sure Hero just dragged Link to his world. While I wouldn't mind getting rid of the former…"

"Right. If we catch up to them quickly we might be able to avoid wasting too much time." Vincent turned toward the other hallway and Cid followed, waving over his shoulder.

"We'll handle this and be back soon. Hold down the fort."

"Aye," Gramps drawled. "Take care now."

The two of them strode down the hallway and immediately saw that one of the doors was hanging open, though it seemed to be drifting closed. After looking through for a second, finding a world of bright and simple colors, they glanced at one another and plunged in with parallel sighs.

* * *

"So this is your Hyrule?" Link asked. They had finally slowed their pace, now just walking toward the castle before them. It was a fairly impressive sight, though he had the feeling it was better at being impressive than defending anything.

"You bet!" Hero jabbed a thumb to his chest. "This is all my world! Ganon's completely scared of me and Zelda's in love with me, though she wouldn't admit it. You're gonna love it, trust me."

He decided that this really wasn't worth a response. It didn't need one, either, as Hero launched directly into a tale of his heroics. At the rate he was going it might have gone on for almost fifteen minutes, but fortunately Link was spared this. The castle doors flew open and a young woman rushed out, grabbing Hero by the shoulders.

"Where have you been?" she demanded. "The Triforce has been completely unguarded! It's a miracle Ganon hasn't stolen it already!"

"Hey, hey, calm down, Zelda. I got transported to another world, where I've been frying bigger fish than Ganon!"

As they argued Link watched them curiously. Zelda wasn't quite what he had expected, wearing a small vest, pants, and large boots instead of a dress. Her long blond hair was flying behind her as she continued to yell at Link. Other than old photographs, this was the first time he had seen a Zelda.

"You want proof?" Hero was saying. "Look at him! He's a Link too!"

For the first time Zelda looked at him, blinking in surprise. "Um, hello," she greeted him cordially. "Is he really telling the truth?"

"Yeah," Link admitted. "He and I are both Links from different worlds; there are a lot of us, actually. We just found our way back to his recently."

"By the way, my new name is Hero," the other added cheerfully, moving in between the two of them. "They started calling me that because I was saving them all the time."

"Welcome home, Hero." Zelda gave a relieved smile. "Let's go into the castle and celebrate. You can tell me the whole story later."

"Oh, I don't know. Some parts of it are pretty scary…"

"Link! I am not a little girl!"

"I told you, my name's Hero!"

Their voices faded away, but Link found himself standing at the entrance to the castle a while longer. The pastoral scene before him was cheerfully idyllic, more unthreatening than any place he'd been in a long time. Still, he found his eyes wandering uneasily to where he thought the door had been. Even if this place was harmless, it might not be for long.

* * *

For a few more seconds the image of the castle shimmered in the glass, then it was overwhelmed by purple smoke. It floated above churning gasses in a large, monstrously-shaped statue, deep within a towering hallway. Standing before it, the creature in blue seemed rather small, but the monsters standing behind him shivered in fear.

"That _accursed_ Link has returned!" Ganon roared, turning away from the glass. His pig-like mouth was quivering with rage and his red eyes burned. "He thinks he will be able to foil my plans, but not this time! Even if he has brought help, he cannot possibly be victorious against my new Stalfos army! Go, my minions! Assault the castle and capture Princess Zelda!"

The animated skeletons began vanishing in purple flashes of light, several at a time until the hall was empty. By the time Ganon had finished cackling maniacally, he was completely alone. This did not prevent him from continuing to rant.

"Soon… soon all obstacles will be out of my way! Once I have stolen the Triforce of Wisdom, Hyrule will be mine! Ah ha ha ha!"

Air thrummed loudly as something twirled through it at high speed. The pig-demon had a moment to stare in horror before an enormous blade struck his body, lifting him into the air and smashing him into the side of the glass. Barely slowed, the weapon spun end over end, demolishing the structure and eventually pinning Ganon to the wall. He gave a short, shuddering gasp before going limp, his blood running down the wall. After a few moments his body also began to melt, creating a pool of liquid that sizzled for a moment before starting to creep across the floor, pulled by an invisible force.

On the other side of the hallway, something began to move, its footsteps making the earth quake.

* * *

I have to say, this chapter includes my favorite meta-joke (that is, something that only makes sense to those playing Legend of Zelda games, not the characters) in the entire story. It also hopefully clears up a few things for those of you who were confused, though the big questions will remain unanswered for some time.

The upcoming portion of the story (Hero's world) was the hardest for me to write by far. It's hard to emulate the cartoon's level of camp while integrating real characters. Hopefully it will be mildly entertaining for everyone and, more importantly, serve its purpose on the overall story.


	7. The Stalfoes are Revolting

Chapter 6: The Stalfos are Revolting

Several times throughout the conversation, Link had the urge to punch Hero in the face. He had a feeling it would have made the world a much better place. Unfortunately, he couldn't bring himself to do it and Hero would probably be able to avoid him anyway. Still, the version he was telling of what had happened already was ludicrous.

He actually didn't get too bad of a deal out of it. After all, his role in the actual battles had been pretty unimportant. But Hero's caricatures of Vincent and Cid were ticking him off. Despite everything, he still felt that someone needed to defend them. But he was weak. Even in something as trivial as this.

They were moving across the courtyard as Hero continued to energetically act out his version of events. Because Link was trying his best to ignore everything that was being said, he noticed the attackers before anyone else. Armed skeletons appearing out of nowhere are generally conspicuous, but he noticed immediately and had already drawn his sword. It struck one of the creatures on the skull just as it materialized.

At the force of the impact Link froze, paralyzed by shock. How had he moved so fast? Not so much the speed, but the fact that he had reacted and attacked so readily. The skull splintered, the Stalfos before him crashed to the ground in a pile of bones. At least there wasn't any blood. He should be fine if it was just monsters like this.

"Aah, monsters!" Zelda observed. Hero threw himself in front of her, sword waving wildly.

"Be careful, Princess! I'll protect you!"

"Take care of yourself!" she huffed, energy glowing in her hands and forming a bow. Before Zelda could fire her first shot, a tentacle snaked from the side and pulled her away. Link swallowed at the sight of the large octopus-like creature that had just captured her. Hero was going to have to take care of that one.

Another Stalfos was rushing at him and he barely managed to deflect his blow. Once he focused on it, however, he discovered it wasn't that strong. All its movements were exaggerated, almost theatric, so it wasn't a problem for him to knock its sword to the side and stab it through the rib cage. There were a lot more coming, though, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Zelda being dragged away.

"Hey," Hero yelled. "I don't think you quite got the _point_!" The hookshot flew from his hands, the head of it striking the octopus creature in the head. As the creature crashed to the ground, Zelda flew from its tentacles and hit the opposite wall. Disoriented, she struggled to pull herself up. Unfortunately, more and more Stalfos had been appearing and some of them were beginning to advance toward Zelda.

That was when the doors flew open and several Stalfos were sent threw the air. Cid and Vincent stood in the doorway, blades drawn. While all the Stalfos stared at them they surveyed the situation for a moment and then broke in opposite directions. Grinning, Link turned away and hacked at the nearest distracted Stalfos.

Another swung at him from behind, but he ducked away from the blow and stabbed backward. It was a clumsy blow, cooler in principle than in execution, but it did knock the monster over. As it hit the floor the light died in its eyes. Seeing this, he barely flinched when he saw two Stalfos running at him.

A large group of Stalfos stood in between the heroes and Zelda's body. Vincent ran through them. His sword lashed out repeatedly, sending bones scattering over the courtyard to either side of him. When another monster leapt from the wall and grabbed Zelda he didn't even slow down, jumping off the nearest skeleton and embedding his sword through the beast's neck. Letting go of the hilt, he caught Zelda in midair and landed agilely.

"Sorry about that." He gave her an apologetic smile and setting her down, though she leaned on his arm for stability. "I had to hurry."

"Oh…" Zelda was staring at him, her voice coming softly and distantly. "No, that's fine…"

"Hey, there's a battle going on here!" Hero snapped, waving his sword in their direction. "Don't be too grateful to someone that just showed up at the last second!"

Link heard none of this. He tried to take the initiative and kill one Stalfos before they could attack together, but found his blade blocked. Immediately the other attacked, forcing him to back away, and then both of them were swinging together. One of the others could probably have dodged past their blows and cut them down, but he wasn't nearly so confident in his evasion skills. Backing away and occasionally blocking was more his level.

That would be enough, though. Their assault was nothing like Vincent's during training, and after a few blows one of them made a clumsy forward attack. All he had to do was flank it and smash through the monster's chest. The other Stalfos came after him, ignoring the loss of its comrade. Dispatching it was a simple matter. Given that things seemed under control in Hero's direction, he turned to see how Cid was doing.

It was already over. The man stood with his sword sheathed amid what was almost a thick layer of bones. He wasn't injured or even winded. Instead, his face held a look of deep disgust.

"What. The. Hell. Is this some kind of joke?" Link shrugged and avoided eye contact, hoping Cid would stop staring at him. Across the courtyard, the others seemed unharmed as well, though there appeared to be somewhat of an argument. As Cid began to stomp in that direction Link got the feeling the argument was going to end very soon.

"Are these the other Links you were talking about?" Zelda asked, looking at the new arrivals. Vincent nodded and smiled. Cid did not.

"I assume you're the Zelda here?" he asked. She blinked at his directness but nodded. "Sorry to bother you. Hero ran off with the kid and we came to get him back. We're leaving now."

"So quickly?" she gasped. "Can't you stay? I'm very grateful for all the help you've given us."

"Please?" Hero whined, giving Cid what appeared to be an effort at puppy dog eyes. "I haven't been home in so long…"

"I assure you, we'd provide the finest hospitality."

"Fine, whatever." Cid turned aside and began moving toward the castle. "I guess we could use a rest. We'll leave in the morning."

Following the others, Link tried to avoid smiling too broadly. He would be really glad for a normal night's rest, actually; part of him wondered if Cid hadn't given in for his sake. They had come after him. That was kind of nice, though he wouldn't dare say it. It wasn't like he had been a liability in this battle either. Perhaps he would stick with them.

But on the other hand, the ominous feeling from earlier hadn't lessened in the slightest.

* * *

It was rather quiet in the temple, now that the other Links had gone. Gramps had gone half to sleep leaning against the dais, apparently muttering in his sleep. Shaking his head slightly, Vio looked away from him.

Perhaps he should have joined the others that had come here, or even Ulrira. Finishing the dungeon had been satisfying, though strangely easy with another Link, but ultimately that had been unrewarding. It obviously accomplished nothing to stay here, but Gramps was cantankerous. Personally, Vio thought that such a new situation required new tactics, but not everyone adapted well, apparently.

Now that the old man was finally asleep, however, it wouldn't hurt to do a bit of exploring. His guess was that they would have to find something behind each and every one of the doors. Tedious, perhaps, but if there was one Link per door the task would be made much simpler.

Glancing into the hallway, he discovered that one door was hanging open slightly. It was made of a battered, light-colored wood with an old-fashioned straight handle. Was that where the others had gone? No, that had been a different hallway, he was fairly su-

Abruptly the door smashed open against the opposite wall, giving Vio only a split second of shock before something hurtled at his face. He was sent crashing away from the door, smashing against the opposite wall and dropping in a limp heap. Out of the doorway emerged a massive hammer, narrowing down to spikes at both ends.

With a heavy sound the hammer shifted, the end hitting the ground as its wielder moved into the hallway. The jet black armor had to bend to get inside, towering well above the door and not quite as wide as it was tall. While the wicked-looking hammer might have weighed as much as a man, it seemed a slender weapon in the enormous figure's hands.

Lumbering across the hallway, the giant brought its hammer down on the body several more times. When the sickening crunches had faded it brought the weapon up to its shoulders and began moving toward the main room. In the large, rounded helm, two dull eyes gleamed.

The sound of the armor clanking up to the dais seemed sure to wake the man there, but Gramps snores almost rivaled the intruder's sounds. For a moment the figure paused, hefting its hammer idly, then it brought it down hard.

At the last second Gramps moved, rolling from his seated position to somersault between his attacker's legs. Already on his feet by the time the hammer rang out against the marble, he lashed out at the armored back ineffectually. One enormous glove swung backward to hit him, but he easily jumped out of range and then waited for the figure to turn to face him.

"Giant suits of armor?" he sneered. "How many times do you think I've killed those?" His opponent seemed to consider him for a moment, then reached up a hand and lifted the visor. Under the dark metal was a rocky face with a broad mouth, small dark eyes staring down at the smaller creature.

"My name is Dalboss." The voice rumbled throughout the room. "You and all the others must perish."

"I've heard that before too," Gramps returned. "I'm not in the mood to be talking with monsters."

The only response was a clang as the visor was slammed shut. In the same motion the hand grasped the hammer and swung it with startling speed. Again Gramps dodged away from it, but this time his opponent came charging after him. He barely managed to avoid the swinging hammer and ran past his opponent, slashing as he went. His attack sliced just between plates of mail, but the giant Goron didn't even grunt.

Rotating with surprising speed, Dalboss brought down his hammer again. The older man barely lifted his sword in time to block it. Even bracing the weapon with both hands, he was knocked backward to the ground. He only barely rolled out of the way of spike that swung down to impale him, snagging his shield from the floor as he did so.

Suddenly he was inside his opponent's range, sword slashing. It clanged off the helmet but still managed to make Dalboss stumble slightly. Just as he was about to finish the combo with a thrust, one hand lifted off the hammer and thrust at him. He managed to block the blow with his shield, but was still sent flying backward, crashing into one of the walls of the room.

While Gramps struggled to his feet, loud thuds echoed across the chamber as his opponent followed. Abruptly jerking himself aright, the old man thrust his sword and several fireballs flashed through the air. They knocked Dalboss backward slightly, but otherwise seemed to ripple off the darkness of his armor. When the flames faded a grating chuckle echoed from the helm.

"Sure you want to do that, old man? I can tell you're running out of magic, using it to augment your abilities."

"Shut up," Gramps growled, wiping a trickle of blood his mouth. He dropped his shield and began to reach into a pouch behind him. "You're twenty years too young to beat me."

"Oh really?" Dalboss's chuckle sounded like a miniature earthquake. "I can tell your breath is running ragged. Isn't as easy to jump around and fight as it used to be, is it? This is the destiny of all you Links: death. You just haven't given in to yours yet."

At the end of his sentence, Dalboss charged, hammer swinging overhead. The instant he moved, however, Gramps reacted in a flurry of movement. Several black spheres flew from his hand, some hitting the ground and others crashing directly into his opponent. When the Goron stumbled from the inferno, still charging, he was met head on by an enormous bolt of thunder. The entire room shook with the power.

Then Gramps coughed, blood spilling down the front of his tunic. He was pinned to the wall by the hammer. The hands that held it were shaken and the armor was singed, but a deep laugh rumbled from within the helm.

"Goddesses…" Gramps breathed.

"No, I think not," Dalboss answered, giving the hammer an extra push to silence his opponent. "It is they who have decreed that you should perish. You are an aberration that must be wiped off the face of Hyrule."

There was no answer. The old man dropped to the ground, his heart no longer beating. With a dismissive grunt, Dalboss hefted his hammer to one shoulder. Two more Links down. Not bad for a day's work, especially considering that he would simultaneously capture another Shard…

Feeling a twinge of abrupt fear, the Goron turned swiftly. He spent one second taking in the scene, seeing the Link from before standing by the dais, a smirk on his face. He spent his next second swinging his arm, sending the hammer hurtling head-first across the room. It smashed the Link into the opposite wall, pinning him there by one spike.

Something was wrong. Dalboss began stomping across the room, his discontent growing. Hadn't he been wearing green before? And the body… Link faded away, leaving only a red tunic draped on the hammer. This barely registered to the massive warrior, who was at this point reaching the dais.

A roar echoed throughout the chamber that would have deafened any remaining inhabitants. The Shard on the dais was gone, as was the smashed body in the green tunic. Dalboss raged over to his hammer and yanked it from the wall, looking about the room suspiciously. This would have to be reported.

* * *

Silence reigned once again. Down one of the halls, darkness continued to flow softly from the gaping hole. This time, however, two points of silver glinted from the shadows. After a moment a man clad in black emerged, gliding over the stones to the central chamber. His eyes glanced at the dead body for the briefest of moments and then it was forgotten.

* * *

"So _that's_ what really happened." Zelda sat back and nodded, a broad smile on her face. "I was wondering if things had really gone like Hero said. Especially with him claiming to be able to shoot bolts from his sword. He's always says he can-"

"Because I totally can!"

"-but I've never seen it." Across the table, Hero folded his arms and pouted at the general laughter. Link found himself smiling as well. It had been a long time since he'd had a normal conversation, much less a meal like this. Zelda hadn't been kidding about the hospitality. The bath and fresh change of clothes made him feel like a different person. One of the knights had said something about an armory, too, so he might get a decent strap for his sword. All in all, this accidental stop was working out pretty well.

"What's the point of a sword that shoots?" Cid asked, one eyebrow well up his forehead.

"Long range magic is useful," Vincent suggested, though he was obviously keeping his smile in check.

"Sure, but then why make it a sword? There are magic rods for that."

"You can use magic rods?" Zelda seemed surprised, focusing on Cid for the first time. "I didn't know Links could do that."

"All of us are pretty different," he affirmed. "Of course, you should have been able to tell that by now. Vincent here can use magic directly."

"Really?" she gasped, turning back to him. This wasn't difficult, as she'd seated herself next to Vincent. He immediately raised his hands as if to ward off the praise.

"Not very much. Just a few things I've picked up along the way."

"This is all pretty amazing." Zelda glanced around the table slowly. "I could never have imagined there are so many other worlds out there. Things do seem suspicious, but I'm sure if anyone is up to the challenge it will be you guys, right? Try not to let Link, I mean Hero, get in your way."

"Oh, come on!" he groaned. "Don't embarrass me in front of them…"

"Actually, Hero, I think you should probably be going. Sprite has been looking for you desperately and she'd be glad to know you were back."

"Aw, who cares about her?" Moments later Hero decided that he cared under Zelda's irritated stare. "Oh, fine, I'll go say hi to the little fairy. It's getting pretty late anyway."

It was, actually. Link found himself looking for a clock out of habit; the sun had been down for a while anyway. He was used to staying up later than this playing games, of course, but with his current lifestyle he was exhausted by this hour. On a brief tour of the castle earlier he had seen the beds, and he imagined he would like to see them again. For the moment, though, he just sank lower into his seat and let his eyelids droop.

"I'm really glad that you came here," Zelda was saying softly. "Our Link is a good person, of course, and Ganon probably would have won without him, but he's a bit of a jerk. I'm glad to meet nice people like you." It was becoming obvious her words were directed mostly to one of them. Vincent seemed oblivious, eyes revealing nothing. When her hand slipped over to rest on his, however, he pulled it from the table with startling speed. Zelda looked at him in dismay and he gave her a sad smile, getting to his feet.

"As one of those nice people, I need to tell you that I've been married for five years." One of Zelda's hands flew to her mouth and her eyes widened.

"Oh… I… I'm sorry. I should have known." She got up as well, hovering near the table for a moment before fleeing from the room. "Good night, everyone!"

If the pause that followed wasn't the most uncomfortable in recent memory, it was at least a contender for third or fourth. Link swallowed and remained very still, but realized that Cid was staring at him. The message was pretty clear: he wasn't welcome here. Well, he'd been wanting to go to bed anyway.

Once he was out of hearing range, Cid's eyes snapped back to the other man intensely. "What else haven't you told us? Presuming that wasn't a lie."

Vincent stared back, eyes reflecting no anger but completely unyielding. It was as if the space between them crackled, both men on edge. After a moment he tilted his head slightly and shrugged. "I'm an assassin hired by Koume and Kotake to kill you."

"Really."

"Sure. Turn your back and I'll stab it."

Another silence, then Cid sat back and shook his head slightly. "Look, kid, I'd really rather you not be an enemy. There's enough crap going on as it is. But I think you understand how I can't trust anyone."

"That is obvious by this point." Vincent folded his arms and shifted to one leg. "The fact that you're carrying that Shard seems to have slipped your mind several times."

"…fair enough. Answer me honestly: do you have any idea what's going on here?"

"No more than you."

Grunting, Cid pulled a stick from his pocket and began to pick at his teeth. After a while he held it just before his mouth, eyes now focused on the floor in the distance. "All I want is to take care of this problem and go home. It's not the greatest world, but I'll take it. If we have to find some way to close the gates between worlds and kill whoever is behind this… well, that'll just have to happen."

"I'd be perfectly happy living with my wife," Vincent agreed, "but I doubt I could just go back and ignore this."

"Do you really trust the others?" Cid watched carefully as the other man seemed to consider the question a moment before answering.

"They have good intentions. But I don't trust good intentions very far." This got a knowing chuckle as Vincent went on, now turning to look out one of the windows. "Back in the temple I considered taking the other Shard but decided that would get us off on the wrong foot."

"We're probably gonna need to get them all, though. One way or another."

"Right. That's how these things tend to go." Vincent gave a slight smile and extended his hand. "So an alliance for the time being?"

"Until we get out of this mess," Cid agreed, rising and giving a crushing handshake. "Once we get stocked up here we can go back to the temple and start figuring this out systematically."

"That was my thought too." As they began to walk from the room they continued speaking in low voices. Both men's eyes were narrow and intense, flickering around them as they walked. Back in the dining room, the servants who had come to pick up the food looked after them as they faded in the shadows of the corridor. The room seemed much colder than it had been earlier that night.

- - - - -

Deciding on chapter titles can sometimes be difficult. It should say something about the nature of the chapter or at least match the moods and themes. Sometimes there doesn't seem to be anything that is appropriate. On the other hand, there are also chapters like this one, where the title wrote itself. Apologies to everyone who never saw the original cartoon. You're probably better off that way.

Despite the nature of this chapter, it does include some important scenes and the introduction of several critical story elements. Those of you who wondered about Gramps now have the clues to know what game he was from, for those of you interested in figuring that out.


	8. Fractured Legends

Chapter 7: Fractured Legends

For one terrible moment Link thought that the clearing was empty. No door leading back to the Sacred Realm, just flowers and trees and the rest of his life in this place. It was only an illusion, though, and he quickly recognized the strange portal that led to the temple. From this side it looked like a cave rising up out of the ground for no apparent reason. When they first went through he had tried to wrap his mind around how both sides of the door were completely different but acknowledged defeat and chalked it up to magic.

The walk here had seemed like an easy stroll, though it had been a fair distance. Of course, he suspected the others could have sprinted it, but he was slowly being pulled up to their level. Perhaps this was what it meant to be a Link: to constantly strain in situations just beyond you until eventually you lived up to the name of hero.

At Cid's insistence they had left early in the morning, gathering their things and marching for the door. Still, they were much better off than they had been a day ago. Rested mentally and physically, Link felt ready to take on anything. If by "anything" you meant "several standard enemies." Still, it was nice to have new clean clothes, if in an old style, and especially the scabbard that now hung heavily on his back. Drawing his sword was surprisingly difficult, but he'd gotten the knack of it after a while.

It was obvious the others were better off for the experience as well. Hero was in a great mood, humming cheerfully instead of talking, though Link thought he might have heard him narrating under his breath a few times. Meanwhile, Cid and Vincent seemed slightly different in a way he couldn't put his finger on. Both were also carrying various pieces of equipment taken from the castle.

When they reached the door Cid moved first, carefully opening it a crack. To Link's surprise, voices could be heard beyond it. Not just voices, but enough that it was difficult to pick out individual words. They moved inside and discovered that the temple was now somewhat inhabited. Few of the Links even gave them a glance, as they were moving between doorways themselves or talking in small groups.

"Just what I wanted to see," Cid sighed. "Let's stay close together and see if we can find Vio or Gramps."

As they walked toward the central room, Link couldn't help but gaze around in wonder. He didn't see very many Links like him. Several stuck out to him in different ways, like skin or tunic color, but for the most part they seemed identical. Their group was comparatively unusual, actually containing age, clothing, and hair color differences. No one bothered them as they walked, which was a welcome change. For the most part people seemed confused or hurried, searching between the doors and not looking at one another.

By the time they got into the central room, there were already fewer people around them. Cid began scanning the area while Vincent immediately moved to the dais. When Hero wandered off in another direction Link found himself relatively alone. What were they supposed to do now, anyway? Could they just disperse to their own worlds?

"Are you the one actually going by the name Link?" He nearly jumped out of his skin, which would have been remarkable given the physiological impossibility. Taking a cue from Cid he had been standing with his back near a wall, but someone had gotten behind him. Whirling with his hand on his sword, he checked his movement and examined the speaker.

Typically sturdy brown boots, white leggings, green tunic… this one seemed pretty average. Abruptly Link's eyes froze. No, not average at all. It was a woman. Few of the Links were overly masculine, but this one's body shape, face, and hair were clearly female. She sighed and folded her arms.

"Yeah, yeah… I've noticed I'm a girl too."

"Err, sorry." Link took his hand off his sword and swallowed. "You gotta understand how it threw me a bit…"

She waved a hand dismissively. "In any case, are you the Link without another name?"

"Why do you ask?" He took a step backward, a fact not lost on her. The look in her eyes wasn't exactly comforting and he got the feeling that she could take off his head with the sword on her back as easily as any of the others. After a moment, though, she gave a friendly smile.

"I'm not out to get you, if that's what you're thinking. No, I've got a message from Vio. He said there would be a group of four coming back including a kid that didn't pick another name, and you guys pretty much fit the bill."

"Ah, okay." Link was about to say more, but at that second he caught a glimpse of Cid. In the moment he tried to decide whether to say something or not it was already too late. She saw his expression change looking over her shoulder and moved, but not before Cid's sword slid just beside her throat, making her freeze.

"For future reference, Link, just because someone knows a person's name doesn't mean they're actually from that person." He spoke without taking his eyes off the woman once, hand on his sword ready to strike in an instant. "As for you, I can't say I'm impressed that you go after the youngest one first."

"Oh, put the sword away. You're not going to kill me." There was a pause and after a while she turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. Cid shrugged and replaced his sword.

"Don't get too confident. In other circumstances I would have done it."

"I know," she answered flatly, moving back a bit to glance at them both. "That's why I didn't try to come up behind you or the slender guy. But if you can get through the suspicious bit, I really do have a message from Vio."

"Dude, is that a girl?" There was absolutely no question in Link's mind as to whose voice it was. Hero was abruptly in the circle as well, eyes nearly coming out of his head. "You have the tunic and the cap, so you must be a Link… does… does that make you…"

"Don't you dare say it."

"…Linkina?"

"No!" Linkina threw up her hands with a slight cry. "For the love of all that is holy, why does everyone do that? I'm a Link like the rest of you, so I should be able to pick a name instead of getting pegged with-"

"Whatever, Ms. Link," Cid interrupted dryly. "Can we get to this message now?"

"Wait, wait, wait," Hero stepped in, raising a hand. "How can you just get over the fact that there's a Linkina running around? If she got together with another Link, can you imagine what the kids would be like?"

"Why does everyone assume I'm unmarried?"

"Whoa, is Zelda a guy in your universe? Or is it a girl and the two of you-"

"That's none of your business!" Linkina's hands were clenched and she seemed close to drawing her sword, a fact that was lost on Hero.

"Well, excuuuu-" Cid punched him in the face, knocking him backward. Without even looking, he turned to the others and snapped,

"Less chatter, more explaining."

"_Thank_ you." Taking a deep breath, Linkina glanced at the two of them for a moment before clearing her throat and beginning. "After getting to the island – long story, don't ask – I was almost to the temple when I ran into Vio. He was under attack by some Tektites, so I helped him out. It was pretty obvious he had already been in a battle that had shaken him, otherwise they wouldn't have been a problem.

"He explained that there was a huge guy in black armor. Strong enough that he didn't even try to fight him. I decided to go on anyway, so Vio told me to find you guys and pass along what had happened. Everybody should stay away from this guy, especially since he didn't get a hold of the Shard, whatever that means. Apparently some guy called Gramps was killed, too. Do those last parts make more sense to you?"

"Yeah." Cid put his stick in his mouth and began chewing on the end, eyes on the floor. "Damn, that means one of the Shards is lost again."

"Shards?" Linkina raised an eyebrow, but seeing their expressions lowered it and shrugged. "Fine, I won't ask. We need to find the other guy and tell him too."

"I already heard." Vincent stepped up to the group from the side, giving her a slight nod. "Glad to meet you, whatever you would like to be called. I found out the Shard was missing, but now it seems we know Vio took it."

"Now what are we going to do?" Link asked, looking between the others.

"I guess we need to plan our next move," Cid began, but he stopped as Linkina raised a finger to her lips.

"Not here," she told them softly. "You may already know, but not everyone here is on our side." Their faces gave her a clear answer, so she jerked her head toward the entrance in the wall, now sitting in open position. "My camp is outside a ways. I'll explain more on the way."

"Wh-what's going on?" Hero mumbled, getting up from the ground and looking at them blearily. "I remember there was some chick, but…" Linkina gave him a flat stare and then headed for the entrance, followed by the others. Link offered him a hand up, but it was refused. Shrugging, he trotted to catch up with the group.

"Things have been pretty crazy while you were gone," she was explaining. "Lots of Links started showing up on the island. We were all gathering here, though I'm not really sure what we were planning to _do_. Regardless, we didn't get a chance before the dragon showed up."

"Dragon?" Vincent glanced at her with narrowed eyes. "I don't suppose that's a coincidence…"

"Yeah, that was my thought too. After the battle, of course; during it I didn't have any time for random thoughts. It was the mother of all dragons, believe me. For a moment I honestly thought all of us were going to die, but that's when the battle got really weird." Still walking, Linkina stared at the floor, biting her lower lip for a moment. "The dragon actually spoke, calling itself Valoo and saying it was going to kill us. When it tried to do so, though, another Link stepped in – you'll meet him later – and stopped the attack cold. He has some insane defensive abilities, believe me. Anyway, long story short we managed to kill it and now people are scared, running around and trying to find their own worlds."

"I see." Cid's stick had worked its way across his mouth during the story and now he took it out, holding it with one hand. "Did this dragon say anything more specific? I've got a-"

His sentence was interrupted by a wolf-whistle and several calls, which nearly made him drop his stick. Linkina flipped off a group sitting on a set of blocks shoved together and then increased their pace.

"That's why I've been camping outside," she explained. "As far as I can tell I'm the only woman here and a lot of these guys seem like they haven't seen one in too long, you know what I mean? We should be fine once we get outside to Altair. They've been staying away from him."

"Who's Altair?" Link asked. Did that name sound familiar somehow? Like something from a story he had heard as an infant, or in another life… but no, it was probably just similar to something else.

"The other Link I mentioned. That's actually not what he'd like to be called either, but-"

"What's so special about him?" Hero asked, moodily rubbing his jaw. "You think he's not interested in you?"

Linkina grinned slightly. "I think you'll get your answer when you see him. Oh, start heading north here."

Now passing out of the temple entirely, the group began moving across the prairie. There were more Links wandering out here, though fewer of them. Several large swaths had been trampled or burned, though the fires seemed to have gone out. Within sight was a small clump of trees creating an area of shade in the otherwise sun-beaten landscape. She led them in that direction and there was a collective sigh as the group passed into the cool of the shadows. In the center of the grove appeared to be the remains of the fire.

He was seated there. From behind he didn't seem too abnormal for a Link, his tunic and equipment fairly standard except for the lack of a cap. But everything was of the darkest black, making the surrounding shadows seem like pools of light. As they approached he turned to glance at them, eyes gleaming just over a large scarf that obscured the lower half of his face.

For just a moment Link was falling, lost in an abyss that pressed in from every side, clawing at his soul. It was only a split second and then he was back in the clearing, the fairly cool air now uncomfortably heavy. He glanced at the others and noticed a slight change in their expressions as well.

"You seem to be the group she mentioned." As he spoke he turned away, back to where the fire had been. He was seated on a stump but there were logs positioned around it that the group moved to sit upon. Cid's face utterly lacked expression, Vincent moved with a strange fluid quality, and Hero seemed a bit dazed. Link kept his mouth shut and sat as well, looking around the circle.

"So you're Altair." Cid stated, eyes still fixed on the other man. "Or do you have a problem with that?"

"It will suffice to identify me," Altair answered evenly. "But I dislike it. It is an arrogant name."

"Everybody started calling him that because the dragon did," Linkina explained out of the side of her mouth.

"What's arrogant about it?" Link asked. He immediately regretted it, as the eyes of everyone in the circle, not counting Hero, snapped over to him. This time when his gaze met Altair's there was no strange experience, though the penetrating eyes still made him a bit uncomfortable. Link thought they had a hint of a kind smile but the dark cloth absorbed almost all emotion. In any case, the other answered after a heavy pause.

"The dragon language has a complex naming system in which a person has many names, some of which can change based on the setting." As the dark figure spoke Link watched him, and he realized that he wasn't all that unusual. Though he gave off an unsettling aura, Altair was sitting in a rather casual position and spoke normally. "This one is literally 'The Soaring' but that fails to capture the essence of the word. Often it refers to someone that the speaker hates, which one might presume the dragon meant given the context. It can also mean plenty of grandiose things like 'destroyer,' 'savior,' or 'god.' Not a word to be used carelessly, so as a name it seems a bit crass."

This brief speech left a deep silence in the group. Hero was starting to fidget while the others seemed focused. Altair didn't move in the slightest, not even his clothing in the breeze. Link swallowed and closed his eyes to try and clear his mind. It seemed that legends really did come in all kinds…

"Now that we're done with our scintillating linguistics lesson," Cid abruptly said, "let's move on to the subject at hand. What are we going to do now? We could head back to our respective homes, but somehow I don't think anyone here is going to be satisfied with that. But we have nothing to go on, unless mystery man here gives hints."

"I know little more than you." Altair shook his head slightly.

"Lovely. Just what I wanted to hear."

"I intend to mostly stay here," Linkina announced, looking toward the others. "Nothing against any of you, but I've got a bad feeling that this place is a lot more important than we know. I won't feel right until everything is back the way it should be. Ignore me and decide as a group."

The four glanced at one another for a moment. Eventually Vincent coughed into his hand and spoke softly.

"If I may make a suggestion?" When no one objected he went on, eyes lowered to the ashes among the remains of the fire. "I'm worried about my wife. Once we find her we can take her with us without slowing down. She's a healer as well as-"

"Fine." Cid took his stick out of his mouth decisively and put it away. "It's settled, then."

"Are you sure?" Vincent lifted an eyebrow, but Cid just nodded.

"Yeah. I understand you miss her, blah blah etc. The fact that you haven't been bitching about it means a lot, too. Heading to your world is as good a start as any."

"Then we're off!" Hero actually stood to his feet, hands on his hips. "To Vincent's Hyrule!"

"Err, I actually live in Holodrum."

"Where?"

"It's…" Vincent made a slight gesture and turned away, "somewhere other than Hyrule. You'll see when we get there."

Cid stood up, cutting off anything further that might have been said. Glancing at the other members of their group, he made a commanding gesture into the distance. "We still have the rest of today. Get ready and move out!"

* * *

It sounded a lot better than it actually worked out. Basically everything Link owned in this world was carried on his person. Still, the others were in similar condition and all seemed to be preparing, so he tried to take cues from them. Hero had lain down by the fire and gone to sleep, Vincent left to find a river in which to bathe, while Cid sat at the fire, sharpening his sword carefully. Altair and Linkina had both vanished earlier.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to follow Vincent. He had gotten clean just the night before, but even half a day later he felt grimy. Adventuring was not a cleanly affair. Some part of his mind seemed to be warning him that their trip to Holodrum would not be a simple matter of finding Vincent's wife and coming back. Best to take the opportunity while it was available. After that he might imitate Hero, for once.

"Hold it." Link did exactly that, only moving his eyes to look at Cid. The older man glanced up at him over various knives and his sword for a moment, then set them down. "I've been wanting to talk to you."

"Err, about what?" Moving back, he sat down and waited.

"By now it should be pretty obvious this isn't a game. You haven't done a bad job so far, but if you want to find your world and go back home no one is going to blame you."

"I… no…" He couldn't look up at the other man, his fingers tightening painfully at his sides. "I want to go back, but not yet. Sorry I'm holding you back, but I'll try as hard as I can."

"That's wonderful," Cid said flatly. "Keep trying hard when someone knocks off your head."

"Fine." Link stood up swiftly, exerting all his willpower not to wipe at his eyes. "If you really don't want me here I'll-"

"The 'hold it' is still in effect." The words froze him before he could turn entirely. "Now sit down and cut the drama."

Link did so, far more promptly than he had intended.

"If you come with us, there is a good chance you could die. We'll try to avoid that, which is generally a good policy, but we may be in situations where we can't protect you. And let me tell you, if I have to take much of a risk to save you, I'm not going to bother."

"Same here." The words had left his mouth before he could stop them. Cid's expression blanked for a moment, then he gave a lopsided grin.

"Well spoken, though complete and utter nonsense." Sitting back slightly, the other man folded his arms and went on without returning to his stern expression. "If we get any more free moments, I'll see what I can do about training you more. We also might want to loot items if any of the Links bit the dust earlier. You actually shouldn't be too much of a problem if you stick to weak opponents."

"Thank you?"

"Yeah, you'd better be grateful." With that Cid looked back down to his weapons, which was as good as a dismissal. Link got up and headed out of the trees. On a whim he pulled out his sword, watching how the light reflected off it. As he walked he struck out at the tall grasses, slaying armies.

* * *

Long after he had gone, Cid remained, polishing the side of his sword. It was far from spotless, but he really didn't care. That didn't matter so long as the edge could cause a lot of pain to something. He realized his current work was really doing nothing to improve efficiency, but he had spent this time with his weapons for as long as he could remember.

No, that wasn't true. It seemed an eternity ago, but he could clearly remember waking in the night with the message, taking up a sword not his own and getting swept up into events far beyond him. The sharpening had come much later, along with so much else.

Each of the others bothered him in some way. Link was so young; perhaps he was similar to Cid at that age, but he was too old to think of such things. Though most of the time he wanted to strangle Hero, there was something oddly appealing about such a relaxed and simple world. Everything was straightforward and resolved quickly, not long wars that cut at the soul and left the victor wondering what had been won. And Vincent…

Cid stabbed a twig savagely. They were different people… not him. Links, but not him. He gave himself an unpleasant grin. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

There were two people moving toward him from behind. Judging from the footsteps, Linkina and Altair. Hers were the quiet movements of someone used to stealth but walking casually. There actually wasn't another set of footsteps, but he could hear Altair's voice getting closer as it continued.

"-more like Valoo. It is impossible to be certain. But if it comes down to it, run. There's nothing worth dying for here."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Linkina answered. "I'm not the type to throw myself at something big and dangerous just because I want to fight."

"Take some of the others with you," Altair suggested. "Vio, the wolf, and the newest arrival."

"And anyone else that will come, right?" By this point Cid had turned to look at them. Linkina was giving Altair an evaluative glance, eyes narrowed in anticipation of his response. For the briefest moment his eyes seemed a bit blank, but then they returned to their typical fathomless gaze.

"I suppose, yes."

At this Linkina gave a brief laugh and started to turn away. She gave Cid a broad wave as she passed. "I'll probably see you guys later. For right now I want to find my world and check that everything's okay. You can deal with Altair. Say goodbye to Vincent and the kid for me."

"Right. Later." Cid watched her go for a moment before turning to the man in black now standing behind him. He liked her, really. It was too bad there was no way he could trade her for Hero. But it was probably good for the talent to be spread out, with so much going on at once. These thoughts fell from his mind as he transitioned to Altair. "Here to make some cryptic comments?"

"I hope you won't find them cryptic," the other answered. "It takes a special kind of genius to misunderstand basic sentences."

Was that an amused expression? Cid honestly had no idea; it was impossible to read this guy. Either way, he liked the attitude. "Alright, fine. Go ahead."

"Would you be opposed to me joining you?"

Well, he couldn't complain that it wasn't straightforward. His hand strayed toward his pocket with sticks but he forced it back. "Why are you interested?"

"Let me just say I have a feeling things are amiss. In Holodrum as well as every Hyrule. But I think it would be more beneficial to investigate with a group."

"Fair enough. If you have any buddies that wear black and have weird names and don't explain anything, invite them along too. Know anybody with a hood or a mask?"

"Your harsh words cut me to the quick. My heart is too wounded to bear this life any longer." There. A definite gleam of humor. This guy didn't actually seem all that bad when you looked at his actions, but something about him was… Other. Still, he wasn't particularly more suspicious than most of the other people they'd encountered. If he'd been able to protect so many from the dragon before, he could probably be useful.

"I don't think we hate you so much that we'll prevent you from stalking us," Cid decided, beginning to replace his knives as he got to his feet. The other man gave a slight nod and moved away into the shadows. Did they swallow him or did he absorb them?

Shaking such a melodramatic thought out of his head, Cid fingered the knife hidden in his boot to reorient himself. All this business was bringing back stupid old ideas. There was no point second guessing decisions that had already been made – if they killed him, they killed him. That was all there was to it.

- - - - -

This chapter moves us on to the story's real business. Elements will start coming together before too long and some of the other important characters will be introduced. Not that this chapter doesn't contain my favorite side character; it's too bad she doesn't have a greater role in the story.


	9. White in Holodrum

Chapter 8: White in Holodrum

Link was almost bored and that thought disturbed him greatly. Did he _want_ them to get attacked again? For about half a day he was occupied by the novelty of Holodrum instead of Hyrule, but that had worn off. Vincent had been glad to explain things to him as they went, but he seemed pensive for obvious reasons.

The first night Vincent and Cid had trained him together, giving him some desperately needed tactics for fighting multiple opponents. Things were very different than on the ship; he was able to follow more of their movements and admire the quality of their swordplay. Still, they weren't really fighting him seriously. He wondered how he would fare against Hero, but decided that opening that conversation really wasn't worth it.

At the moment he was just trying to avoid the sword sweeping at his head. Serious or not, Vincent's strikes came in a swift series. Between parrying and backing up he was managing to hold it off, but he had no time to get in a strike of his own. The plan was to counter-attack as soon as his back approached a wall, but that might not work out well.

They had chosen a place for camp not long ago and after eating the training had began, as usual. Hero was sleeping with his cap over his face, which also surprised no one. Altair watched the combat silently. He had done so little that Link had almost forgot about him; he seemed to fade from the mind when not watched. In any case-

"Behind you!" Cid abruptly called from the side. Link froze, jerking his head over his shoulder without thinking. He would have been struck in the face had not Vincent halted his strike in mid-motion and stabbed backward just under his armpit.

The blade bit into scales, drawing dark blood. Behind Vincent, the Lizafos screeched and pulled the blade from its shoulder, but it was too late. Cid's sword cut through its head from behind and the creature dropped. His face was grim, watching the trees around them. Their ambush ruined, other Lizafos were jumping from the trees, blades drawn. The very first was struck in the face by Hero's hookshot and collapsed backward, but others jumped over its body with barely a pause.

Cid advanced in the opposite direction, blade at his side. A Lizafos stabbed at him, but he side-stepped the attack with little apparent effort. Without once taking his eyes from the other opponents, he smashed his fist into the monster's throat and stabbed it as it fell.

Not nearly so confident in his abilities, Link stayed back and waited for them to come to him. He bumped into Vincent's back and managed to repress his panic reflex. The other man gave him a slight smile.

"Looks like there are two of them. Ready?"

"Right!" He got a better grip on his blade and watched them carefully. It was just like training, except for the higher probability of death. Both of the Lizafos attacked simultaneously, but he rolled out of the way of the attacks. Vincent, of course, easily evaded, actually going over the head of the Lizafos approaching him.

Catching himself on the ground, Link jerked back to his feet and attacked as best he could. He was still dizzy from the roll; the blow was easily parried. Still, only one of the Lizafos had easy access to him at the moment, so he traded blows with it. Before the other moved into position he managed to nick the first monster's arm, but then he was forced to back up to avoid the double assault. A bit faster and he might have been able to kill it…

As he dodged to the side, one of the Lizafos took a massive overhead swing at him. He was so startled he almost didn't take advantage of the opening. Would it really leave itself that vulnerable? In the end, though, instinct won out over caution or thinking and he thrust into the beast's side as it missed.

Blood spurted and the beast roared… and Link's sword was yanked from his hands in the thrashing. He gasped, but had no time to go after it before he was forced to duck the blade of the other Lizafos. What was he supposed to do without a weapon? Another blow sliced just past him, but the monster followed up by bashing him with the butt of its large blade. The blow made Link stumble, but he grabbed the Lizafos' hand before it could pull back for another blow.

Immediately he realized this was a mistake. Not only was it likely stronger than him, it had gleaming rows of teeth that looked like they wouldn't be troubled by human flesh. He managed to jerk his head to the side and avoid the snapping bite, but if he didn't let go it would throw him off his feet immediately.

So he let go. Link jumped back and out of range. The other Lizafos was charging at him, enraged by its mortal wound. Such a bloody, vicious charge might have been the end of another young warrior, but Link saw the opportunity. He didn't dodge well enough to avoid the claws raking his chest, but he did manage to put his hands on the sword.

It came out covered in blood, but he barely saw that. His eyes were already turning to the other Lizafos while the first collapsed to the ground beside him. There was no hesitation, no concern at the death of its comrade – the beast simply attacked. Several blows deflected off Link's sword and then he struck back, slashing across the Lizafos' chest.

Though it dropped, it remained alive. Not as smooth of a killing blow as he would have liked, but it would do. Flicking his sword to try to get the blood off, Link got his bearings and looked at the area around him. No Lizafos were trying to attack him and the others were being dispatched, but at that moment he felt hot air hit his back. Eyes widening in horror, he whirled…

Across the battlefield, Cid jerked his knife out of his opponent's chest, kicking it to the ground. As he turned to find another victim he hesitated, his eyes tightening at what he saw. Link was standing at the edge of the battle, frozen in shock. In front of him was a massive Dodongo, small red eyes burning. Even as he watched its mouth opened, flames beginning to form past the rows of spiky teeth.

Just before the torrent of flame consumed him, Link was thrown aside by a blurring Vincent. The air and grass were scorched but the flames dissipated off of the larger trees. Hardly a full grown beast, but still a bit of a problem. Without most of his equipment, Cid wasn't sure what the best way to deal with the monster was. For the moment, though, it was important to stop it from chasing after Link.

He jumped through the air, landing on the startled dragon's side. It tried to bite him but its neck wasn't flexible enough. Pretty soon it would think to throw him off by force, but for the moment Cid took the opportunity to slash at the creature's hide. 

The tail snapped at him and he decided it was better to jump back than continue the engagement. Vincent and Link had gotten to a safe distance anyway. Cid glanced at the others and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Let's get out of here." They didn't seem inclined to disagree.

Unfortunately, the Dodongo lumbered after them with a fair amount of speed. At least this one couldn't roll, but that wouldn't matter if it breathed fire while giving chase. When the mouth opened again Cid hurled a knife behind him. Feeling the sting of pain, the Dodongo closed its mouth, inadvertently making the damage worse. There went that knife, but the worst attack was diverted for the moment. They could probably make it to the large rocks up ahead and-

"No, you idiot!" Hero yelled at him. "Dodongo dislike smoke, not knives!"

"If I had a bomb I would have thrown it!" Cid shot back.

"Take cover," Vincent called to them both, changing directions with startling speed to dodge behind one of the large rocks. Once he saw that Link hurled himself far enough into the shielded area, Cid dodged to the rocks on the opposite side.

Confused by the abrupt movements, the Dodongo halted, eyes glaring forward as it tried to figure out where its prey was hiding. Almost immediately it saw Hero, standing in the open with his hands on his hips.

"Hey, ugly! Try to fry me!"

It decided this was a fine suggestion. As the beast opened its mouth to breathe another tongue of flame, the man in green moved swiftly. Several black objects in his hands hurled forward toward the open beast's mouth. Before they got inside they were struck by fire and exploded, making the Dodongo reel in surprise. Hero, on the other hand, was thrown to the ground some distance away by the force.

"Yeah, throw the bombs _at the fire_," Cid told him. "That'll work."

"Aw, come on. You know what I was trying to do."

At that moment their conversation was cut off by another volley of flame. It smashed into the rock at Cid's back, but flooded off it without touching the two men crouching there. More enraged than trying to accomplish anything, the Dodongo turned and launched a stream of flame at the boulder behind which Vincent and Link were crouched. When there was no effect it continued to send flames toward both rocks, effectively pinning them down.

"We don't have time for this!" Vincent called in between bursts. "My house isn't far off now – I'm going to run for it!"

"Fine! You handle your wife and we'll handle the giant fire-breathing monster!"

"Are you sure it's fine for you to go alone?" Link asked, looking over his shoulder at Vincent. The next moment another blast of flame flooded around the boulder, making him wince from the heat. "I mean, there are probably more monsters…"

"I'll go with you." Abruptly Altair was standing in front of them. He did not seem particularly concerned by the flames that were flowing from the boulder and nearly touching him.

"Stop talking and go!" Cid yelled from across the way. Vincent nodded curtly to the others and then sprinted away as soon as the flames hitting their boulder stopped. He and Altair vanished into the trees before the Dodongo could see them. All Link could do was take a more central position behind his cover and hope the others could handle things.

"Give me some of those bombs," Cid hissed to Hero. The other man put a protective hand over his pouch. "I could also just throw you into its mouth. Take your pick."

"Geez, man, loosen up." His words reached no one, as Cid was already peering around the boulder, trying to gauge his timing. These bombs didn't seem particularly powerful, but it wouldn't take much of an explosion inside the monster's mouth to end it. When given the chance, he bolted around the side of the rock and began running directly toward the Dodongo.

Startled, it let loose a short blast of flame. Cid dropped to the ground and rolled, flinging the bombs the instant the stream of fire stopped. They hurtled toward the open mouth as it prepared for another attack… and bounced off as the Dodongo snapped its jaws shut. Blinking, Cid had only a few moments to regain his balance before it charged at him.

What was that? A conditioned reflex, almost, because he certainly wasn't inclined to believe the monster was smart enough for that kind of thing. But how were they supposed to proceed, then? It stumbled as the bombs exploded near it, giving him plenty of time to get out of the way.

Unable to control its movement, the monster crashed head-first into one of the boulders. The rock cracked and the monster dropped, shaking its head to clear it. Sneaking up from behind and hacking at the sensitive tail was a simple matter. Unfortunately, when the tail lashed at him Cid was caught head on. As he fell back, hitting the ground heavily, he forced his eyes to remain open and see the Dodongo turning on him.

At that moment a chain whizzed over his head, the hookshot striking the Dodongo in the face. It winced away, giving them a chance to – no… Cid gaped as Hero actually charged directly at the monster, striking at it wildly. His blows scored several gashes across the Dodongo's mouth, but as it thrashed in pain it knocked the small human in front of it to the ground. Staring through a film of blood, it fixed its eyes upon the body and moved to trample it.

Just as it began to charge, however, Link jumped from the boulder and landed on its back, digging his sword deep into the Dodongo's hide with his momentum. Cid blinked in surprise for a second time, though this was a more pleasant instance. He actually hadn't noticed the kid getting on top of the boulder. Solid move, though rather stupid.

Immediately Link was thrown to the ground, rolling as he hit and nearly stabbing himself with his own sword. As the monster turned toward the small creature that had hurt it, however, it presented its side to Cid. Putting everything he had into a strike, he hewed through the Dodongo's flesh. It actually crashed to the side, flailing for a moment before scrambling to its feet. This time, however, its charge was born out of pain and rage, so it crashed harmlessly away into the trees.

"Yeah!" Hero roared, raising his fists in the air. "We did it!"

"We did not! After it!" 

Link had gotten to his feet and obeyed, following as fast he could. Hero also kept pace, though he kept shooting dirty glances in Cid's direction.

"Could... couldn't we just… let it go?" Link panted. Cid shook his head sharply.

"Best to kill it while it's wounded. Besides, it could hurt people."

All he could manage was a nod. He was stumbling to keep up, as the battle had taken a lot out of him. Ahead of them, the Dodongo continued to carve a path through the forest, leaving dirt, trees, and three Links in its wake.

* * *

Trees flashed on either side of him, but Vincent was unworried that he would hit any of them. These were familiar woods now; he could feel the land connected to him. Thus he ran at top speed, cutting through the winds that buffeted his tunic sharply. It was not far to the house from this point.

"Are you sure your wife will be there?" Altair didn't seem to have any trouble asking the question while running, even looking over at him. Vincent gazed back at him for a moment and decided to answer.

"She probably won't be, with monsters around. She knows it's a better idea to avoid battles than to fight them. But she knows how I think: Din would hide somewhere nearby and-"

"Din?" The blue eyes seemed unusually bright and sharp, but Vincent barely noticed.

"Yes, just like the Goddess. And yes, I've heard all the jokes and I'm not going to make any of them."

"What does your wife do?"

"You mean profession?" Normally he wouldn't have asked, but… "She's a dancer."

"Is that so?"

Vincent glanced to the side at this, eyes instantly narrow. He couldn't read anything on Altair's face, though he was now facing forward as they continued to slide through the forest. "What do you mean by that?"

"If you say she is only a dancer, I will believe you," Altair answered, barely audibly over the sounds of running. "But I doubt that is the whole story." This earned him a long look, but eventually the other man answered.

"I'm not sure I want to know what you mean by that. But Din is also the Oracle of Seasons. She is intrinsically tied to the cycles of nature in this world."

"Ah. I see."

"What do you see?" Vincent shifted his hands at his sides closer to the hilt of his sword. In preparation for any unwanted surprises at the house, he told himself, but the justification rang hollow. There seemed to be a glimmer of interest in the narrow eyes, and he had no idea how to read it.

"The elements around you are bent," Altair answered. "I rather doubt you have had to deal with inclement weather on your travels." The other man smiled and nodded.

"That's true. My wife controls the seasons on a more specific level and I guess you could say some of the effect has rubbed off on me."

There wasn't an answer to this. The matter seemed to be concluded, though Vincent wasn't sure what had been accomplished. In any case, it had lasted until they were very near his home. He shifted back to a normal pattern of breathing, deep and rhythmic. Something gave him the impression he would need to be prepared.

When they finally broke through the trees into the clearing, however, nothing happened immediately. The lawn had grown long in the time he had been absent, but otherwise it seemed fine. As he slowed to a halt he realized it looked as though heavy feet had walked on it. Not recently, though. Perhaps monsters had started appearing in each world at the same time the Links were taken to the Sacred Realm?

In that case, it might have been difficult for Din to remain here safely. Where would she go next? As Vincent approached the house he tried to reach inside and found no familiar presence. Not inside, but she could easily be close and hiding herself. She had to know that he would come here first, so it was possible that she had already seen him.

Opening the door, he found the inside of the house in decent condition. Some things seemed slightly amiss, in worse condition than either of them would have left it, but it didn't look like an army had marched through. That was some small comfort, at least. But the question remained where to go from here.

Suddenly there was an enormous magical power behind him. Vincent whirled, his hand pulling his sword from his sheath in a flash. Even as he did so, however, he saw a column of fire and ice spiraling toward him. It was almost upon him; the most he could possibly do was evade, if that.

Equally abruptly, Altair stepped into the edge of his vision. The brilliant light from the spell rushing down at them didn't touch his clothing. He raised his hand, a movement that seemed slow but must have happened in an instant. When the force of the spell struck them, Vincent felt absolutely nothing.

For a moment he was half-blinded, but he could see the results. Fire and ice were crashing against an invisible barrier, flowing off to the sides in a rough sphere. There was no crackle of a force field or apparent resistance, nor did he feel any temperature change from the attack. Curiously, though parts of the ground were scorched or frozen, none of the house seemed to have been damaged. A nice touch, that.

Even as he noticed this, however, his eyes were searching overhead in the direction of the blast. As expected, there were two figures floating in midair, Geurdo robes flowing around them. By the time he found them they were descending, landing in the field some distance away.

"You again," Kotake commented idly, glancing him up and down. "Is this your world, then? Worried about someone, perhaps?"

"Should I be?" He managed to keep his voice icily calm, but his knuckles were white on his sword hilt.

"We have more important concerns," Koume answered, casting her eyes away from him. "Many will die during our business here, but do not be so arrogant as to think we're here just to make you suffer."

"Though that is the plan right now," her male reflection added. Flames were dancing around his feet, lapping up against his legs. "Unless you feel ready to give us more information, it's for the best that we eliminate you now."

"Wonderful friends you have," Altair commented softly. Vincent gave him a slight glance and the other two seemed to observe him for the first time.

"Ooh, haven't seen you before."

"They call themselves Koume and Kotake," Vincent said in a low voice. In his peripheral vision he saw Altair's eyebrows rise slightly before he responded.

"Interesting… those are very old names."

"I killed witches by those names."

"Is that a threat?" Koume demanded, eyes flashing. Kotake merely grinned.

"My, isn't that a nice coincidence? I imagine they caused quite a bit of trouble for you and your legend. Very appropriate names, don't you think?"

There wasn't an answer and none was necessary. The flames around Kotake's feet were beginning to spike upward sharply. Simultaneously, the grass where Koume stood was freezing and snapped as she took a step forward. Altair shifted position just slightly, his hands open at his sides. Vincent did not move, his sword held before him in position and his eyes fixed on the enemy.

* * *

More and more blood was on the ground. Though the Dodongo had been increasing the distance between them, it was clearly running on its last legs. By this point Link was only keeping up in the sense that he could still see Hero and Cid ahead of him. Presumably the wounded beast was even further ahead.

This was becoming less of an issue for Cid the further they traveled. Vincent had drawn him a decent map of this area of Holodrum, and it included absolutely nothing about the tower up ahead. Presuming it had appeared while they were in the Sacred Realm, so did that mean it was an enemy base of some sort? Was the Dodongo trying to flee to it?

Not that it mattered. With a final burst of speed he could catch up to the beast. While the wrath of a dying monster could be terrible indeed, this one had spent much of its life in the chase. He waited a moment longer so as to time his jump perfectly.

As soon as he landed on the Dodongo's back he was jostled, but his sword was already flying. The slash through its neck was off-center but still sent the beast into the ground nose-first, driving through the soil several meters before coming to a stop. Before it could struggle any further, Cid ended the battle with another slash. Not all that difficult, overall, but it had consumed far too much time.

"Hah!" Catching up, Hero jammed several bombs down the Dodongo's throat and ran a short distance off, closing his ears. Cid just rolled his eyes and walked off the carcass, getting a safe distance away before the explosion.

"It was dead already, you know."

"No, it's the principle of the thing," Hero insisted. "What's the world coming to if you can't blow up a Dodongo or two? Besides, we're doing pretty good now that it's dead – hey, look at me when I'm talking to you!" Cid didn't acknowledge this, staring behind the other man so fixedly that he turned to look, even as he spoke quietly.

"…we may have a much bigger problem."

* * *

His breath was coming ragged now. Was he running himself to death like the Dodongo? When Link looked down he could see that the blood from the scratches was soaking into his tunic, though he felt strangely numb there. To avoid the sight he kept looking up, so he watched the tower as it came into view slowly. Something about it gave him a very bad feeling…

But abruptly he had more important things drawing his attention. He very nearly ran into the carcass of the Dodongo, slowing to move around it and losing precious momentum. Strangely, Cid and Hero didn't seem to be nearby. Why would they have gone on? 

He saw them a moment later, facing away from him. Neither was moving, standing at the edge of some sort of field. As he got closer his throat began to constrict, making it even more difficult to breath. Stumbling to a halt near them, he couldn't take his eyes away from the sight before them. The field at the base of the tower was littered with bodies and stained dark with blood. There were monsters and humans, stabbed or ripped apart or burned beyond recognition.

Alone in the midst of the slaughter stood a man, just turning toward them now with a slight grin. He wore a tunic of the purest white.

- - - - -

And cut, which should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with my style of chapters. The next chapter will be an interesting one, giving more information about three characters that have been fairly vague until this point.


	10. Oracle of Change

I accidentally loaded this chapter before properly reformatting. Refresh if the page breaks are missing.

- - - - -

Chapter 9: Oracle of Change

"In the name of the Goddesses, we condemn you to death!" Koume and Kotake spoke in unison, their respective elements building around them. The end of the sentence was punctuated by twin bolts of fire and ice, screaming toward the two Links standing at the opposite side of the clearing.

It only took a swing of his sword to deflect the fireball. Vincent narrowed his eyes, not liking the look of Kotake's grin. Perhaps he had spells that could not be blocked? In the future, he'd have to be more cautious. The twins were both smiling and he noticed too late that energy seemed to be building between them, a swirling mass of red and blue.

Beside him, there was a blur of motion. Something dark flew from Altair's hand, becoming a sheet of shadow as it moved. The black surface quickly expanded, cutting into the ground and blazing in between their opponent. Both jerked to the sides, barely avoiding the streaking attack and ending up well away from each other. Vincent glanced at the other man and gave a slight nod, then sprinted toward Kotake.

The wizard realized the tactic immediately and moved to rejoin his partner. She was running in his direction as well, but abruptly his view of her was cut off by a flashing blade. Vincent's sword sliced through several locks of his hair and Kotake nearly lost his balance in the desperate evasion. Another slash was coming his direction, forcing him to put a burst of magic into flying backward.

Given a bit of range, he charged a quick fireball and sent it at his opponent. To his surprise, Vincent ducked forward. When he did so, he revealed the mass of ice slashing at his back. The opposite elements met and an explosion of force rent the atmosphere. Pushed forward by this explosion, Vincent was upon the wizard even sooner with another attack ready.

"No!" Kotake gave a loud cry and flames burst from his hands, leaving trails of fire through the air as he slashed wildly. Vincent was nearly nicked by the first attack and stepped back, but once he recovered his footing he dodged past further sweeps and swung horizontally. Only by lifting himself into the air did Kotake avoid a grievous wound to his chest.

Meanwhile, Koume struggled to her hands and knees. The explosion had taken place directly in front of her and sent her spinning through the air. She could hope that it caught the Link as well, but she doubted it. If she joined the battle quickly enough, they could probably take him out easily, but-

As her head rose, two dark boots appeared in her field of vision. Throwing herself back on a reflex, Koume sent an indiscriminate blast of frigid air around herself, freezing the grass solid and making the air sharp with tiny ice particles. None of this seemed to bother Altair, who stood before her looking down with expressionless eyes. For the first time, she felt a chill.

* * *

"Good day to you," he told them cordially. A glove touched the white fabric of his tunic as the Link gave a slight bow, never taking his pale eyes from them. "Gracious of you to arrive in a timely fashion."

Standing at the edge of the massacre, Hero and Link could only stare at the other man. Cid had drawn his sword and was standing calmly, almost too calmly. There was a moment in which no one spoke, but the Link in white seemed unconcerned, merely watching them with the slight smile fixed on his face.

"Who are you?" Cid demanded.

"A Link, like the three of you. But you may call me Light for the sake of convenience." With another slight smile, he crossed his arms and continued to watch them casually. "I am rather surprised how popular green is among our counterparts. Overall I have been disappointed. It seems all worlds were not created equal, much less identical."

"Why are you here?"

"Come now, is that the best question you have?" Light shook his head slightly. "I came to this world seeking a Shard. The conspicuous tower seems a good place to look, doesn't it?"

"And these?" Cid gestured roughly with his sword to the bodies. For a second Light blinked, glancing at them as if for the first time.

"Corpses. Battles tend to produce those."

"No, you idiot!" Hero yelled, waving his sword. "Did you kill these people? Or were you just fighting the monsters and couldn't save them?"

"Couldn't save…?" Abruptly Light's face split in a dark grin. "Against such miserable creatures, I would hope no one would be beyond a Link's power to save. But you obviously seem worthless, and the kid over there has done nothing but gape in shock. I suppose it is again time to remove the trash."

His blade emerged from his sheath gleaming brightly. Cid shot a hand in front of Link to prevent him from moving, but he needn't had bothered. The young man could see the golden mists that were flowing from Light's feet, slowly covering the area around him. Only an idiot would rush into a situation like that, which meant…

"I am not worthless!" Blade and hookshot flying into position, Hero was already rushing toward his opponent. He stepped into the mist without apparent ill effect, but Light seemed equally unconcerned. When the hookshot fired at his head he tilted it just slightly, avoiding the blow as he moved forward. His own sword shot out, clashing off Hero's, and then his free hand struck the other man's stomach, knocking him backward.

That was all Link saw before he was distracted by something else. Around the two battling figures, the corpses were beginning to lift into the air. Flesh and bones fell from their bodies, but all remained suspended by invisible magic. As the mists continued to spread, more and more of the bodies rose.

Just in case he needed any further indication they were enemies, their eyes began to light up with unholy bright flames as weapons lifted to their hands. Link shivered but mastered his fear. They would probably die just like anything else, as Cid proved when he cleaved entirely through the nearest.

As he moved to attack as well, though, the boy found his body heavy and unresponsive. Not good; he was still too tired from running. One of the corpses attacked clumsily and he managed to knock it down, but the brief conflict left him gasping for breath. Time for a change of strategy, then. He backed carefully to one of the fighters that Cid had defeated and then quickly ducked to snatch up its shield. It would have to do for the time being.

Not far away, Hero was flung through the air, knocking several animated corpses aside. He crashed to the ground and groaned, not moving until a white boot flashed at his head. Though he managed to roll out of the way, Light was still standing over him, his sword raised. Hero fired the hookshot straight up, forcing the other man to throw himself back abruptly, the tip brushing the tail of his cap out of the way.

"You're fond of that thing," Light observed calmly. Hero didn't answer, pulling himself to his knees and preparing to fire another shot. Unworried, his opponent began to walk toward him slowly. "I had one myself, but I threw it away. Handy for a few situations, but ultimately not as effective in combat as a sword."

The weapon fired at him, but he knocked the tip aside with his blade and darted forward, slamming his knee into Hero's chin. Somehow he managed to land on his feet, skidding back and looking up just as Light attacked again. Four of his blows were deflected by the wild swings of his opponent, but the fifth bit through flesh. Hero dropped his hookshot and grabbed the injury in pain while Light flipped his sword back into combat position.

"Miserable. You aren't so bad in combat, I suppose, but you seem intrinsically inferior. Really, it's almost merciful to put you down." Spinning his sword a few times, Light abruptly shot forward, his sword knocking aside Hero's and doubling back around for another blow. All Hero could manage to do was block as many blows as possible, each that made it past his defenses adding another lines of red to his skin and slowly weakening him.

Without warning the white glove was flying toward his face. He tried to hack at it, but found his blow deflected and the fingers around his throat. Grinning, Light lifted Hero off his feet and prepared his sword for a thrust. At the last second his eyes flickered to the side and he moved.

Though several meters back, Light hissed in irritation. A thin cut had been put in the sleeve of his tunic, blood beginning to stain the fabric. Hero coughed on the ground, no longer trying to get up. Standing in front of him was Cid, his sword at his side casually.

"Excellent!" With that cry Light attacked, almost flying through the air to slash at the man standing in his way. Blows were exchanged for a few fierce seconds before he saw his chance and slashed overhead. Somehow the attack slid just to the side of Cid and abruptly there was a knife heading for his stomach.

With unreal agility Light's body twisted backward in mid-motion, letting the dagger's point sweep just past him. Even as it missed he was flipping away, landing on his feet and bringing his sword to bear again. His breath was coming readily through sharp teeth, parted in a slight grin.

"This is what a Link should be," he acknowledged. The other man only took a step forward, raising his blade carefully. "Don't get me wrong, I'd like to continue as well, but perhaps this battle is unnecessary. I think you would be well served to join us."

"Us?" Cid's eyes stared at him, hardly blinking. "I don't think I want to have anything to do with an organization interested in people like us."

"Fair enough, but humor me a moment longer. I have no more interest in the causes and goals of some cryptic organization than you do. They mean to kill all of us, unless I miss my mark. But they clearly have no idea who they're dealing with. Those with the eyes to see can take this opportunity for themselves. Don't you find that at all appealing? To be able to possess whatever you desire, from any world?"

"Yeah, I like the sound of that. I like it too much." Without warning Cid's sword arm snapped out, blade flickering at his opponent's face. Light deflected the blow and reacted with one of his own, meeting Cid's second strike head on. Their blades crashed into one another and both men put their weight behind them, pushing against the other.

"Too bad, then."

With those words Light jumped backward, leaving the battlefield entirely. He landed lightly on a small balcony of the tower, replacing his sword in its sheath. At the base of the tower, the massive stones began to rumble and shift, magic blazing among them. Cid started forward but halted before going too far, realizing they had been cut off.

"Since the tower's defenses are fully charged, I should be about my business," Light explained. The entrance to the tower was disappearing amid the mass of shifting blocks, which was building to cover up the entrance to the balcony as well. "Take some time to think about what I said, unless you can actually break this kind of barrier. But either way, you might want to worry more about your friends at the moment unless you're ready to abandon them yet." Link caught a final glimpse of a grin before the white tunic turned away and was blocked off by the blocks.

"Damn." Cid slammed his sword back into its sheath and folded his arms. The remaining corpses had fallen apart, probably out of range of Light's ability. Link seemed to be about at his limits and Hero was lying on the ground, covered in his own blood. More concerning, however… "Link, take care of Hero," he commanded. "Follow me when you can." With that he burst off into the trees, heading due east.

Link blinked, taking a few seconds to digest what had been said. He hurried to try and help Hero to his feet, desiring to get away from the tower as soon as possible. Though Light should theoretically be occupied for a while, he wasn't sure he trusted anything the white-clothed man said. The further away from him the better. Hero groaned but did manage to stumble along with him.

Reaching into his pouch, Link found several small red potions. He forced Hero to take one and watched, still slightly awed as the magic knit together his skin and clothes. It didn't look like it would be enough to get him back up to full speed, but it was still better than anything he had used in his world. After some thought, he took a quick drink from one of the other potions as well. Immediately sparks flooded his body as if every limb had fallen asleep. Bruises and cuts seemed to fade from his mind. If he was going to be useful at all in future conflict, he would need to be in as good of shape as possible.

That was what he told himself, anyway. As he followed distantly after Cid, Link's mind was filled with images of a flashing white tunic.

* * *

By now the air was filled with tiny shards of icy, reflecting the magic light from Koume's hands. She launched a swift burst of ice spikes, but they were all knocked aside. Casually. Effortlessly. Altair continued to walk forward, seeming more apathetic about her assault than anything else.

It was time to try a different strategy. Pausing to build a bit of magic, she abruptly stepped forward and hurled several shards of ice at once. One at a time was getting her nowhere, so – in an instant all of the shards shattered, breaking into pieces that rained across the ground. Had he even used both hands?

"Don't bother with this farce any longer," Altair told her flatly. "Save us all time and teleport away."

"How can you be so arrogant?" she demanded. Her rage was tapping into deeper levels of magic, but she held it around her tightly instead of wasting it on a hasty attack.

"Arrogant?" His head tilted slightly and after a split second he shrugged. "I do not believe so. You must have noticed that none of your attacks have touched me."

"You're all talk. Earlier you split us up, which shows you're rightly afraid. Together, my brother and I are far more powerful. Think you can toy with that kind of magic? You'd be singing a different tune if that other Link wasn't here to distract him!"

Her next sentence faltered as the other words dashed themselves against Altair's unchanging eyes. They shifted just slightly, and she had a bad feeling that he was smiling underneath the cowl. It would not be a comforting smile. "Really? I think you should be very glad Vincent is here. If he were not, I could actually extract real information from you. As things stand, I have to go on crumbs like everyone else."

He had continued to walk forward as he spoke; somehow he was almost in front of her before she realized it. Throwing everything she had into one attack, Koume froze the entire area in front of her into a solid column of ice. Her eyes gave a glint of satisfaction that died as she realized the ice in front of her was clear and empty.

A blow struck the small of her back, smashing her into the frosty wall. Though her magic prevented it from doing immense damage, she could still feel the frigid surface burning against her skin. Altair moved his leg back and seemed ready to kick again, but after reflection paused and put his foot back to the ground. Not yet.

Across the field, Vincent was having a significantly more difficult time. Even with defensive magic in place, flame had singed his tunic in multiple places and he had several burns that would be painful once the adrenaline wore off. His opponent had stopped casting bolts of flame and was using whip-like arcs that snaked through the air and defied attempts to parry them. Still, some of Kotake's blood stained the grass and his breath was coming much faster now.

He ducked beneath a slashing wave of fire as he continued forward, eyes on his opponent. Advancing normally was useless, as this one could fly. If he wanted to get close enough to use his strength to his advantage, he needed to do it in one burst. Just as he pushed against the ground to move forward, he noticed that Kotake had only been using one hand for several seconds. The other was clenched, but flashes of red could be seen between his fingers as they opened…

Vincent brought his other foot down just as dozens of burning red sparks flew toward him. He managed to change his pattern of movement, contorting in midair to avoid them. The movement brought him within range of his opponent, but he had lost too much speed in the jump; his blade was pushed back by a shield of flame and the next moment the Geurdo mage was out of range.

In midair, though, he wasn't attacking. At that moment Vincent realized there were heavy noises behind him, previously drowned out by the magical flames. He took a step forward, feeling something swish past the back of his head even as he turned. Looming in front of him was a soldier of stone, clumsy movements made dangerous by the weight behind them.

It was already moving the other arm toward his head, but too slowly. Vincent swept his blade to the side, cracking the arm enough that it broke off before hitting him. He leapt at the Armos before it could recover, putting his full weight behind the kick. As the monster fell backward to hit the grass heavily, he looked past it and discovered several more were approaching. Reinforcements... not good, especially with-

Only a leap backward allowed him to avoid the burning comet streaking toward his head. He whirled and knocked a few small flames aside with his sword, but several fire whips were already coming in his direction.

Before they could arrive, crushing pain expanded through his skull. He dropped instantly, only barely seeing the Armos behind him through darkening vision. Much faster than normal… the blow was only a setback, but a few seconds would be all Kotake needed to end it. A deep sigh drifted from Vincent's soul. _Din… I'm sorry…_

Suddenly she was there. He caught only a glimpse of her, red dress flashing past him. The flames slicing down toward his head were snuffed out by the wind. The Armos moving to crush him froze, frost covering its body. He heard Kotake's yell of rage and felt the heat of a column of flame burst down toward them but split against a fierce wind.

She couldn't stand up before an assault like that for too long, though. Forcing himself to his feet, Vincent abandoned his sword and grabbed the frozen Armos with both hands. With all his strength, he managed to hurl it, close enough to Kotake that the Geurdo struck out in surprise. The stone warrior shattered and Kotake glared back at them, but at that instant he was struck head on by an avalanche of stones leaping from the ground and was buried.

"Vincent…" Din was abruptly in front of him, her arms wrapping around him tightly. He stiffly lifted his limbs to hug her back, looking for the remaining Armos. Most seemed to be lumbering toward Altair, so they were not likely to remain much of a threat. For a few seconds he let himself forget the outside world, reveling in the familiar body and silky hair.

"I'm so glad you're safe," he finally whispered, pulling her away to reassure himself she was real. She gave him a quiet smile that transformed her face.

"Where have you been?" she asked, her eyes becoming more serious as they searched his. "I waited and searched, but you seemed to be entirely gone. Then recently there have been monsters and I had to hide out in the woods… oh, here's your sword. I wanted to make sure no one would steal it." She pulled the strap off her back and handed it to him. He took it from her gratefully as he answered.

"I'm sorry. I got sent to another world, and it's taken us a long time to get back."

"Us?" She looked at him quizzically and he gave a soft laugh.

"That's going to be tricky to explain. My companions are all like versions of me from other worlds. A lot has been going on, but-" He cut off as Din's eyes narrowed, snapping to the side as they both felt something shift.

"You_ bitch_!" The earth broke apart in a pillar of magma that for a moment seared the area a bright red. As it faded Kotake stood on the molten ground, eyes blazing with fury. Din and Vincent's eyes widened at the amount of magic he was channeling. Hopefully this was his full power, because if not…

Without warning he exploded forward, leaving a trail of flame in his wake. Before Vincent could even react he was past him, striking Din in the stomach. His flames were blown out by a gust of wind, but the physical force still doubled her over. A second later her husband's sword slashed horizontally, but Kotake was already streaking into the air, pulling her with him. By the time Vincent looked up, they were already a red spark high overhead and two Armos were stomping across the ground toward him.

High above, Kotake tried to channel flame down his arm, but it was met by a surge of water. The liquid seemed to cling to him, moving over his arm and up his body – he gave a roar of anger and all the water evaporated. Through the steam he saw Din watching him carefully, momentarily suspended in midair just across from him.

She hadn't started to fall by the time he attacked again, snakes of flame lashing out. They were met by slashing winds that broke them apart, but the embers sizzled just past her face. Magic raged between the two of them in a vicious globe, enough force being unleashed that both remained in the air.

How could this be happening? This was just the woman of some Link, another permutation of the idiotic hero archetype! Yet this magic power was only several steps beneath his own and her face was hard and serious. She was ready to fight to the death, a situation he was most eager to create. At least he could rob the fool down below of someone precious to him.

Too late he realized that snow was swirling around him. It began to sweep at him from all sides, forcing Kotake to defend himself with a sphere of flame. Din smiled just slightly, one hand thrusting forward and nearly touching the fire. Wind pierced the shield and struck her opponent in the chest. He hurtled away, emerging from the brilliant chaos of the magical battle.

A second later she dropped as well, no longer suspended by the power. Though she was already collecting a warm wind underneath her, the house and ground were coming up startlingly fast. Her eyes searched below for a familiar form in green. Was Vincent still alright?

There was someone else, though, not her husband. He looked very similar but wore a brown tunic, at the moment standing on the edge of the battlefield with his arms folded and the remains of several Armos around him. At the same time she saw him he glanced up toward her. Without hesitating he bolted across the field.

Instead of drawing his sword, he dodged past the Armos that swung clumsily after him. When he vaulted off the ground, kicking off one's face and launching himself into the air, she realized his objective. Even without the slight guidance of her wind he would have made it, catching her in his arms before both of them plummeted.

His boots shattered the thin roof and they crashed to the floor amid a shower of wood and dust. Surprisingly, he managed to land on his feet and his knees bent to absorb the majority of the impact, though the abrupt halt still made her vision go blurry for a moment.

"I assume you're one of my husband's friends?" she asked weakly. Cid glanced at her and nodded brusquely, but before he began to say anything a voice came from the doorway.

"Well, this is new." Vincent stood there, a relieved smile on his face. "I've never had to worry about coming home to find my wife in the arms of another man."

Din laughed softly and Cid rolled his eyes, not quite dropping her to the floor as he got to his feet. "Yes, yes, you're very clever. Let's trade quips _after_ the battle; I don't think the Armos coming at you from behind appreciates sarcasm."

Vincent's smile didn't leave his face, but he did raise his sword in front of him. It was different than the last one, Cid immediately noticed, a thinner and somewhat longer blade that looked like it might be slightly curved. In any case, it flashed from its sheath in an arc that cleaved entirely through the Armos' stone body. As both halves crashed to the floor, Vincent straightened and returned the sword to its sheath. "Agreed."

- - - - -

This is one of my favorite chapters overall. Light is properly introduced, Din joins the story, and Vincent gets his original sword back. In two weeks there will be another interesting update with some new developments.


	11. Faces of Evil

Edits have been made and proper paragraph breaks are in place. Sorry about the lapse.

- - - - -

Chapter 10: Faces of Evil

Finally the trees gave way to a clearing. The instant Link stepped foot on the grass a cool wind circled around him. For the first time in what felt like ages his lungs no longer burned from the labor of breathing. Beside him, Hero was panting only slightly less, apparently not fully recovered despite the potion.

His moment of relief was short-lived, slain by the sight before him. Though the field had obviously once been very pleasant, it was now devastated. Major portions had been entirely burned away, while others seemed frozen solid, as little sense as that made. What appeared to be broken pieces of stone statues also littered the area. For the first time, Link was very glad that he hadn't been able to keep up with Cid. What had happened here?

Immediately his eyes moved to the field's only inhabitants, grouped beside what appeared to be a small house that had also taken some damage. As he moved closer he quickly identified them. Cid was sitting against the house wall with his eyes closed, resting but no worse off than he had been before. Vincent was just coming out of the door; he had no wounds but his clothing indicated there were many not long ago. Altair stood at the edge facing out with his eyes closed.

With them, however, was someone Link didn't recognize. It was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Vincent's wife, perhaps? She had a great length of red hair, bound in a broad ponytail except for the high arching bangs around her face. Her amber eyes seemed almost to glow softly, even from this distance. Her dress was a light red, close to her body until it split into pant legs that flowed together in the appearance of a skirt.

As he approached Vincent waved a greeting; the others didn't move and the woman only looked curiously. Eventually he reached the group, but all he could manage to do was lean on his knees and gasp for breath. For a moment his muscles thanked him as the burning finally stopped, then they began pestered him with aches and pains again. He was _not_ cut out for this.

"Din, these are the other two," Vincent introduced. "That's Hero and the young man is the one we still call Link."

"I'm pleased to meet you." Din dipped her head gracefully to both of them. "Thank you for taking care of my husband."

"You… you're welcome," Link panted, dropping back to sit down and give his legs a rest. Cid had the right idea, not moving a muscle, conserving strength. If they'd found Vincent's wife, things hadn't gone so badly after all. Other than the creepy Link in white and the strange tower, anyway…

"Hey there, hot stuff," Hero said by way of greeting. "I'll be looking forward to getting to know you better, you know what I mean?"

Din blinked for a few seconds, then glanced over at her husband. "Is he retarded?"

"Err, no," Vincent coughed. "I didn't get a chance to tell you about him yet. It might take a while for the whole 'marriage' thing to sink in."

"Ooh, is this your wife?" Hero asked. Without waiting for an answer, he attempted to elbow Vincent in the side and was deftly blocked. "You're a lucky man. Is she a good kisser? I'll bet-"

"Oh, for the love of Goddesses, shut the hell up!" Cid winched open one eye, glaring Hero into silence. "We just got done fighting; can't you give it a rest?"

"What happened here?" Link managed to ask. Vincent quickly turned back to him.

"To make things simple, we fought the two Geurdo mages we met earlier, as well as a bunch of Armos they apparently brought with them. We had barely finished when the two of you arrived, actually. Cid says there are problems in your direction, but it's probably best to recover for now."

"I'm not complaining!"

"By the way, I have something for you." Vincent handed him a large golden feather that Link took curiously. "That is a Roc's Feather. I used it in my original quest, but it doesn't do me much good anymore. It might be useful to you."

"Is it really okay for me to take this?" He turned the object over in his hands, wondering at it. Obviously magic, even he could tell that, but he had no idea what the purpose might be. Was he supposed to hold it, or would it work if he just had it in his pouch?

"Just be careful. Using this will make you jump pretty high, so if you don't know what you're doing you can hurt yourself. Once you've recovered, feel free to try it out. We'll probably stay at my home for a while."

"They've made quite a mess of things," Din said softly, walking away from the group as she somberly surveyed the clearing. "I realize this is just one place and these people have apparently made a mess of entire worlds, but it still hurts. I've tried to bend the seasons to begin repairing, but natural processes move slowly. It will be a long time before things are back to normal."

"Din!" Vincent called out at the same moment her eyes widened in surprise. Cid vaulted to his feet, hand on his sword, but it was already too late. Two massive skeletal horses landed in the clearing, sending a shock wave that nearly knocked Link down again. Each was ridden by a tall man with flaming red hair and dark eyes, clad in dark Geurdo armor.

They thundered just past the group, taking them off guard. One of the men, wrapped in a grey cloth, bent down and grabbed Din by the waist. Her expression was filled with shock and then it was gone entirely as the horses turned sharply. Their hooves bit through the grass as they galloped into the forest.

"What was that?" Hero gasped, looking around at them dumbfounded.

"Just run!" Cid commanded, taking off after Vincent. He was streaking across the field with surprising speed, but the horses had already vanished among the trees. Link pulled himself off the ground and managed to catch up with Cid and the confused Hero, though his body was already crying out in protest.

"-can't-" he managed to choke. Cid glanced down at him and then reached into his tunic, pulling out a blue vial and handing it to him.

"Drink it. Not a good idea for long term, but it'll give you enough energy to keep up." The older man smiled thinly when Link immediately pulled the stopper and downed the potion, still while running. He was learning.

Energy instantly pumped through Link's body, even while he could still feel the potion running down his throat. It was a bizarre high, obviously unnatural and leaving his body tingling with magic, but all aches and pains were gone. He felt like he could run forever. At the rate things were going, it seemed they might have to.

* * *

A slight smile on his face, Light picked up the small black shard. Against his glove, it seemed to contain unfathomable darkness. Once he had looked at it for a moment, he dropped it back onto the pedestal and stepped backward.

That very instant a burst of purple energy scorched the air where he had been standing. Ignoring the hair that whipped around his face, Light glanced in the direction of the attack with a mildly curious expression. There were two men standing in the large arch that opened into the heart of the tower. Both were tall, red-haired, and wearing Geurdo clothing. Ganondorfs. How interesting.

"Evening, gentlemen," he greeted them. "Did you enjoy your trip through the tower? I imagine it was rather easy, following in my footsteps."

"This is as far as you go," one of them snapped, pointing a finger at him. "That Shard is ours!"

"Oh? I should think it belongs to me."

"You fool!" Purple energy flashed around Ganondorf and he took a massive step forward. "Do you think I care about ownership? We're going to kill you and take it by force!"

"Sorry about the confusion, we seem to have miscommunicated. This is quite a bother." Light lifted a hand to his face, then abruptly slid apart his fingers so one eye gleamed out at the two men. "That was what I meant."

And then he was no longer standing by the pedestal, but just in front of the other two, his sword flashing. It raked the stones behind them as both ducked and moved in opposite directions. An instant later Light found himself facing one of the Ganondorfs. This one hadn't spoken, eyes merely blazing at him with incredible hatred. Odd, that, but ultimately he didn't care.

Several blows came his direction, but Light easily deflected them all. The Ganondorf drew back his long blade, energy running along its length. Light's lips parted in a slight smile, but before the attack could come he was tackled from the side by his other opponent. Interesting; this one was quick.

Relatively. As they dropped toward the ground, Light pushed off his opponent's shoulder, twisting in midair above him. White boots hit the dark armor's back and the Ganondorf smashed into the ground, his face sliding against the stones a short distance. Just as Light jumped off him, the body began to burn with purple flame. Ganondorf rose into the air, roaring in anger as his power built around him. The force sent dust spiraling away and pounding against the walls, scorching the air with dark heat.

Light's sword slipped between his ribs. As the purple flames died, he shoved it in a bit further, smiling at the grunt of pain he received.

"Impossible…" Ganondorf gasped. The word brought blood to his lips. "Only the Master Sword should be able to harm me!"

"Who says this isn't one? They're practically common-place, these days." He cut off whatever response was to come by forcing his sword sideways, ripping through flesh bit by bit. "But I think you're missing the point. Do you really believe such things apply any longer? Our legends are over. Every idiot like yourself that can't adapt is going to fall by the wayside." Abruptly he shifted to a chillingly friendly smile. "But I'm monologuing. My apologies."

The blade ripped out with a shower of blood. Ganondorf crashed to the ground, his rasping breaths growing slower as his life soaked into the dark stones beneath him. There was no magic, no forces casting him to the Sacred Realm. Just the pain and the blood and the encroaching darkness…

As Light turned to face his other opponent, his smile faded. He was alone, or at least he would be once the fool at his feet had finished dying. His hand grew tighter and tighter around his sword as he quickly moved across the room, looking at the pedestal to confirm what he already knew.

How could he have escaped so quickly? Was there a portal nearby of which he was not aware? Perhaps if he searched he could follow the other Ganondorf and kill him fast enough to get the shard back. But no. He could already tell that the others were beginning to climb the tower. It would take them only minutes to reach his current position unless he went to great lengths to stop them.

Giving a disgusted sigh, Light picked up the bleeding body and held it distastefully away from him. With his other hand he drew a gold ocarina from his pocket and placed it to his lips. One note haunted the chamber for many seconds, then yellow light began to swell around him. As it swirled around his body, he gave one last glance back at the room. Perhaps it would not be a bad idea to leave them a present after all…

For a moment the darkness vanished, replaced by a total lack of color that defied comprehension. It had already slipped his mind by the time he looked up into the dark room. Only blue flames lit it, casting the entire room in a strange glow and filling it with innumerable shadows.

One end was completely dark, but he could tell _it_ was there. Even at its enormous size the creature made no sound, but it somehow loomed even when invisible, creating a tangible presence. Not wanting to concentrate on it for too long, Light tossed the fallen Ganondorf in its direction lightly. The body hit the ground and lay there for a moment, blue lights flickering over the dead eyes. Then the face was eclipsed as an enormous hand appeared in light, grabbing it and dragging the body away.

"Is that the best you can do?" He glanced to the side and found the twins standing in one of the entrances. Koume was silent and looking away, but Kotake was more typically loud. "You didn't get the Shard, so all you can do is take in the trash?"

"Please, feel free to report my incompetence." Light gave them what some might call a smile, a parting of his lips that did not move his eyes. "Tell them that I could only recover a Ganondorf whereas the two of you succeeded in… what did you accomplish again?"

"Shut up," Kotake hissed, eyes narrowing. "Just how do you know about what we were doing?"

"I have eyes other than my own, of course. Surely you don't just rely on them for information, do you?"

"Do you think they'll just overlook that? Defying them is-"

"Enough." The rumbling voice cut off all further conversation. Heavy footsteps fell across the floor as a hulking figure in armor moved toward the small group. Dalboss still held his hammer on his shoulder, shifting it every so often as if eager to use it. "What now?"

"I suppose we need to ask them to locate the Shard." Kotake folded his arms, abruptly not angry. "That Ganondorf seems to have jumped straight from one world to another through a crack of some sort. If we can track it down we should be able to kill him."

"If they can locate Shards, why do they bother with us?" Light asked, an eyebrow rising. Kotake shot him a murderous glance.

"Do not question the doings of the Goddesses. It is not enough to win; the old order must be destroyed. For that, many elements are necessary. If-" Abruptly steel crashed against stone, overwhelming all other noise.

"Stop rambling." Dalboss hefted his hammer back to his shoulder. "I'm going back to hunt more Links. Who wants to deal with this?"

"Count me out," Light shrugged. "I'd rather stay away from them while they're working on that _thing_."

"Oh, does it make you nervous?" Kotake grinned just slightly, eyes narrow and rather pleased. "I suppose it would, because you _are_ a Link, after all."

"Needless creature," Dalboss rumbled, shaking his helmet. "Our strength is sufficient. The Links are weak."

"Not all of them." Koume's voice was soft, as if barely strong enough to get past her lips. Her eyes seemed clouded, like she was struggling to surface from within herself.

"That's true." Kotake's expression became sour and he crossed his arms tightly. "We fought several of them that could prove to be a real problem."

"Strong, yes, but not necessarily a problem." Without looking at any of the others, Light turned and began moving into the shadows. "They could prove useful… if they survive what I'm getting ready for them."

"Do you have to do everything on your own?"

"Of course. I'm a Link." Though he didn't turn back to look at them as he vanished into the shadows, all of them were sure he was smiling.

* * *

As the tower drew closer, Link's feel of apprehension seemed to grow. Perhaps it was just the memory of Light, but it felt as though something was wrong in a deeper sense. He didn't spend too much time on his own worries, though, not when Vincent was running not far ahead. The other man's face was tight and his eyes narrow, though he had slowed down some after his initial burst of speed.

It was clear they couldn't catch up to the riders, but he was surprised how fast they covered ground. He knew there was no way he could have run this far without magical aid and he had a bad feeling this would all be catching up to him later. Vincent showed no sign of tiring and Cid looked as though he could run forever by willpower, but Hero had begun to fall behind.

The front of the tower came into view abruptly, trees falling away to reveal the entrance. Large stones lay scattered in front along with the twice-dead bodies, as if someone had blown their way through. Though the group slowed as they neared the entrance, Vincent moved in without hesitation.

By the time Link made it inside, the others had all stopped. Din was embracing Vincent and Cid was standing off to the side. Had she escaped or beaten off her captors? That seemed unlikely given the power they had shown before, but he really had no idea. Things seemed to be alright, though, so he examined the room. It was rather large with a high ceiling, all the walls of the same dark stone as the rest of the tower. As on the island temple, it looked as though there had once been many puzzles and such, but all of them were finished.

At the far end of the hallway were two small stairs leading to the next floor. In the middle was a staircase that looked as though it had once been blocked off by another wall. Had Light already come through here and earned his way to the second floor? Before he considered any further, he realized the others were talking.

"-idea who they were?" Cid asked. Din shook her head.

"At least one referred to the other as Ganondorf, but that means little to me."

"Damn. In my world, there was a legend that the monster Ganon had once been a man named Ganondorf. It looks like our enemies are gathering as well."

"I'm not so sure." Din rested her head against her husband's chest, continuing to speak softly while Cid and Vincent looked at her sharply. "One of them was definitely a cruel man, but the other… his spirit did not feel corrupt to me. He wasn't cruel and was the one who decided to abandon me when they were done. I was planning to kill him, but it made me hesitate."

"What happened?" Link asked, looking between them.

"She says the Ganondorfs used her magic to break into the tower, but after that they left her," Vincent explained.

"What's going on?" Hero emerged in the doorway, panting heavily. "Is it over?"

"Not by a long shot," Cid muttered. "Even if Light isn't here any more, those two probably are. We've wasted too much time here; let's move."

Din and Vincent parted, following Cid toward the stairs onward. Hero groaned and followed after them, grumbling under his breath. They went up several floors by identical staircases, all without windows, until finally they reached another large room that appeared to take up the entire floor of the tower.

A carpet rolled from the top of the stairs straight across the floor to a raised platform on the opposite side. Link barely saw this, however, distracted by the dozens of statues on either side of the carpet, all of them bearing stone weapons. Swallowing, he decided that he was not going to move any more and definitely not touch anything.

The others seemed to be of a similar mind, entering carefully and examining the area. All of them looked toward the sound of a slight hum and watched as an engraved platform floated down from the ceiling and landed atop the slab on the opposite side of the room. Standing in the center was the cloaked Ganondorf, eyes burning at them.

"Typical," he sneered, waving a derisive hand as he stepped off the platform. "Link could not capture and kill me himself, so he sends his flunkies to cut off my escape."

"What are you talking about?" Cid snapped, hand on his sword and he stepped forward as well.

"I have no time for this," Ganondorf answered darkly. "Link has resurrected something terrible and I have no desire to be in this world any longer. If you don't want to die, get out of my way!"

It became clear the next instant that this request was cursory. Reddish light lit up around Ganondorf, a fierce wind ruffling his cloak. He raised his fist and there was an explosion of power, forcing all of them to shield their eyes. By the time Link managed to convince himself it was safe to open his eyes, he saw that the chamber was empty.

"He's getting away!" Hero yelled, moving to give chase down the stairs. He was stopped abruptly by Cid's fist against his chest.

"Let's not fight any unnecessary battles; we don't have the strength for that. I'm more worried about whatever might be higher up in this tower. This place gives me a bad feeling."

"I agree." Vincent had seemed relieved after the recovery of his wife, but part of his anxiety was still in his eyes, harder and more disturbing. "This tower is not of this world, and I feel as though it bears great hatred…"

This cheery thought drifted between them until the silence was shattered as something crashed down from the next level. It was revealed to be a coffin-like box, engraved with a symbol Link didn't recognize in the instant before it broke apart. Splinters rained over the platform as a force of darkness exploded, twisting around itself.

For an instant Link caught a glimpse of a tall woman, clad in a strange black dress with a sweeping hat. Before he could get a better look, however, she became darkness again, flooding toward them. Instinctively he drew his sword in defense, but he was still taken off guard by a chilling shadow. When it passed the room was empty again.

Without hesitating even slightly, Cid whirled and kicked at Vincent's legs. The other man floated backward out of range, a broad grin on his face. His eyes were shadowed and when Link looked closer he gasped. It was as if the shadow of the woman he had seen earlier clung around him like a ghost.

"Wonderful," the voice of Vincent chuckled. "I had never expected to draw another breath, much less be given the opportunity to possess an old enemy."

"Leave him!" Din demanded. A wind began to blow her hair about wildly, but the body of her husband just gave a short barking laugh.

"His wife, are you? I'm tempted to kill him in front of you, but it would be a shame to waste this body. No, I will have to think of something better than that."

"Who is this?" Cid asked tersely, slipping next to Din and glancing at her from the corner of his eyes.

"The sorceress Veran," Din whispered back. "Vincent fought her before he met me. I thought she was dead…"

"It seems I was," Veran answered, brushing Vincent's hair away from her face. "Yet it was like sleeping, a passing instant before my return. Do any of you know a man wearing all white? Ah, I see you do. I shall have to thank him once this is over."

"Leave Vincent alone!" Hero cried, charging forward. His blade swished just past Veran as she floated backward again.

"Careful, there. Do you want to kill your friend?"

"As if you have his best interest in mind." Cid drew his sword, advancing. Vincent's eyes widened sharply and the ghost surrounding him hissed. With surprising speed she flew backward, arcing through the chamber and through the hole in the ceiling.

"Link!" Din bolted after him, nearly flying down the carpet to reach the hovering platform. Before the others could follow, Hero made a disgusted noise and walked to lean against one of the statues. Instantly Cid turned on his heel, eyes narrowing. Taking a sharp breath, Link began to shiver as his eyes swept the room.

"Why would you do something like that?" Cid roared. Hero seemed honestly surprised, looking at him.

"Look, I've been running around for too long and I was tired, so I-"

"Fool!"

"Well, excuuuuuse m-"

At that moment the statues attacked, bodies breaking off their pedestals and weapons grating into attack position. Hero's jaw dropped and he backed away, backing into the statues on the opposite side that were moving as well. Link held his sword in front of him and did his best not to flee. After hitting his forehead with his palm, Cid lifted his eyes and took quick stock of the situation.

There were perhaps thirty statues in the room, moving slowly but picking up speed. Given the variety of weapons and the formations they were taking, he had a feeling they wouldn't be easy to handle. Hero was far from the top of his game, which wasn't that high anyway, and Link was unnerved and out of his league. At the same time, Vincent was possessed and Din was already ascending after him on the platform. He cursed under his breath and hefted his sword, still uncertain how to wield it. Choices like these were what made war so terrible…

Dark cloth fluttered in the edge of his vision. He looked and saw Altair standing calmly behind the group, watching him. Cid was not in the mood for this mysterious crap and shot him a dirty glance. Altair might have smiled, but in any case he began to walk past him.

"Focus on this battle," he said softly. "I'll deal with the other situation."

"Good," Cid grunted. "Way to be useful for once."

They had no time for more than this brief exchange, as Altair was already walking toward the advancing wall of statues. Though they immediately struck at him, he yielded to their blows like water, flowing around them as he continued to move forward. As he passed them, the rigid heads turned back toward the other three, standing together in the midst of an encroaching tide of stone.

- - - - -

Rarely have I been so glad when a chapter came out to the proper length. Ending with Din being captured would have been a bad thing, whereas now I can claim it as an ironic foil. Everyone who wanted to see Light in action should be pleased, but unfortunately he will be stepping out for a while. Next chapter will feature Altair…


	12. Deus Ex Link

Chapter 11: Deus Ex Link

As soon as Din opened the door she knew something was wrong. Instantly letting go of the handle, she jumped back, landing several stairs down. A sphere of darkness flew just where her head had been, hitting the ceiling above and apparently melting the stone.

She gathered her elements and stepped back up, this time ready for another such assault. Most likely, though, Veran wouldn't try another surprise attack. This was the top of the tower, a small spire that didn't appear to be part of the main dungeon. Either way, the battle was going to end here.

The door had swung completely open, giving a glimpse of the room within as Din ascended the stairs. It was small and circular, similar to every other room in the tower but apparently more personal. As the winds surrounding her entered the room, they kicked up dust, so it seemed that it had not been in use for some time. There was a body-length mirror in one corner with an armed statue on either side, but these barely registered as her eyes fixed to the right side.

Vincent's body sat on the edge of a large canopy bed, hands drumming the blue sheets. The ghost of Veran smiled and another dark orb sailed toward Din. This one dissipated in the other woman's glare as she took a step forward.

"Did you know this is actually my room?" Veran began conversationally. "I wonder if the man in white brought my entire tower back. I wonder how he-"

"Let him go," Din snapped.

"Oh, I don't think you're in any position to be making demands," the sorceress laughed. "I don't die if my host does. Normally I'd kill you with my own power, but I think for you it will be far more satisfying to do it directly."

For the first time Din's eyes faltered as Veran rose to Vincent's feet. His hand slid down to the sword at his waist slowly. Almost the same instant it abruptly tightened around the hilt, Vincent's body shot forward, slash cleaving through the circling winds. Din barely managed to throw herself back, the sword whistling in front of her face. Catching her balance, she shivered as she watched her husband continue to walk toward her.

"I can't." She balled her fists and moved to a normal standing position. "I can't fight you."

"Then die!" Veran howled, making her host stab forward swiftly. At the last second Din stepped forward and past the attack, wrapping her arms around her husband's body. Veran laughed uproariously. "Are you serious? Can you-"

Her voice faltered as she realized she was now viewing the scene from behind Vincent, not from his perspective. Had… had she actually done it? A strong enough elemental attack directed on the spiritual plane might be able to expel her possession… but all theorizing abruptly became lesser priority than avoiding the elbow flashing at her face.

This effort failed, and Veran flew back across the room, crashing into the opposite wall and dropping to the floor. Her blurry vision focused enough to see Vincent whirling, light glinting off his blade as it slashed down at her. Before he could bridge the distance the sorceress exploded into darkness. He instantly darted away, but realized too late he wasn't the target.

Icy claws seemed to grab Din from all sides, dragging her deep into shadows. Force was pressing on her from all sides, suffocating her as the darkness continued to wrap tighter around her soul. Distantly she felt her body begin to move, spheres appearing around it. She could vaguely see Vincent dodging away from the attacks, but then pale hands covered her eyes. Veran's breath was on her neck, carrying a mocking chuckle to her ears.

Then all of that was gone. She was floating in a blank, empty space. Was this what possession felt like? Somehow this seemed unusual… no longer bound, she subconsciously rotated to stand – what was she standing on? When she looked down, her eyes instantly widened. Far below a man in black was moving toward her, taking steps in nothingness as if climbing stairs. At just that moment he glanced up, eyes meeting hers.

Without transition Din found herself standing in front of Altair. Though he looked as distant as usual, somehow his presence was comforting amid the bizarre surroundings. Was it her imagination, or was there compassion in his eyes?

"Don't worry," he said softly. "I will be coming shortly."

"Will it be in time?" she asked, biting her lower lip. "If Vincent can't find a way to stop Veran's possession, he'll be helpless to fight back…"

"I can interfere, though I'd prefer to have your permission before using you as an avatar. How much do you trust me?"

"Do what's necessary." At her words Altair's eyes seemed to smile slightly, but it was only a fleeting impression before he vanished entirely. The shadows returned, smothering her, but it was almost immediately pierced by a deeper darkness. Suddenly she could breathe easily and the chill was gone. Sighing, she closed her eyes and let it engulf her.

* * *

The spheres of darkness were coming stronger and faster than they had before. Vincent dove out of the way, but had to immediately deflect one as he came out of his roll. Before she hadn't been able to fire them at this speed, but she'd clearly changed. This was no simple resurrection; it was as if she had been remade in the image of something else. He wasn't slowed down by the fact that Veran was in his wife's body, but there was nothing he could do to attack without Mystery Seeds. The back of his legs bumped against the end of the bed; he was running out of room.

Abruptly he realized that another attack was not forthcoming. Rising, he carefully brought his sword to bear and prepared for some ruse. Din's eyes seemed clouded, though, and a few seconds later Veran's darkness flooded out of her and formed her body as it slid across the floor. She rose to her feet, expression a cross between a smirk and a frown.

"Do you think you can stop me this way?" she demanded. Her body was already dissolving into strands of darkness. "I'll just possess you again!"

"I will not allow that." Veran's body instantly became defined again, but Vincent barely saw. He was already looking back, toward the voice that was familiar yet so strange.

When he saw her, that uneasy feeling became much stronger. She was exactly the same and yet not. The elements that usually drifted around her, even when invisible, were entirely gone. Even her presence seemed to be erased.

"How is this possible?" Veran stammered, stepping backward with wide eyes. With an abrupt cry she hurled several spheres of darkness across the room. Din walked directly into them, and each was snuffed out the instant it touched her.

Eyes taking on a frenzied look, Veran moved away, touching the statues standing at the side of the room. As Vincent had feared, they began to move, weapons sliding into position as they stomped across the room. His wife's body didn't change its pace in the slightest, steadily moving toward the panicking sorceress.

The first statue swung a pike toward her head. Without looking up Din caught the weapon by the shaft and jerked it around, cutting through the statue's body. As it crashed to the ground she caught the other attacker with her free hand and brushed it aside, demolishing the stone body against the wall. This had barely happened when she was standing in front of Veran, the pike impaling the sorceress through the heart. There was a tremendous wail and the body exploded into dark fumes that swiftly evaporated.

"A-Altair?" he asked. His wife's body turned toward him, amber eyes more passionless than he had ever seen them. They did not change when she smiled slightly.

"Correct. Your wife allowed me to borrow her body for a moment. I hope you will forgive my intrusion, but I would rather neither of you died like this."

"I'm not complaining. Is she alright?"

"She may be a bit tired from the possession," Altair answered, walking toward him. "Nothing to be concerned about. But catch her."

"What?" A moment later, just as Din was directly in front of him, her eyes fell closed and she dropped forward into his arms. He instinctively caught her, but due to fatigue and shock he fell backward, ending up sitting on the bed. To his relief her eyes opened almost immediately and he knew she was Din again even before she smiled wearily.

"They've taken care of the situation downstairs." This time Altair's voice came from the door. Both of them looking in time to see him reach the top of the stairs and step just inside. "Ganondorf and Light are far ahead of us, so we won't be giving chase today. Cid will decide to camp here."

"Good," Din and Vincent both sighed. She shifted slightly, leaning against him and closing her eyes. Vincent stroked her hair gently but simultaneously glanced toward Altair with narrowed eyes.

"Who are you?"

"There will be time for questions later," the other answered. "But believe me when I say that I am a friend." He turned smoothly and vanished down the stairs, the end of the cloth around his neck fluttering for an instant before vanishing entirely.

* * *

The situation could have sucked worse, but not much. Link backed up while looking behind him, realizing that the stone warriors were beginning to encircle him. They fought clumsily and he could easily parry their blows, but he couldn't do anything else. Even if he put everything he had into a blow, it would only clatter off their bodies and chip a bit of the stone. He just didn't have the strength to fight these; Cid's attacks smashed the statues apart and even Hero seemed able to zap them into pieces.

His only remaining option was to keep himself safe and wait for the others to finish the battle. Two or even three warriors at a time were no problem, but they kept moving to surround him and there were quite a few. Delaying the inevitable was an immensely depressing effort.

Currently, the inevitable seemed to be impending. There were a few gaps in the ring of statues around him, but he hesitated and they were gone. By the time the circle closed on him they would be able to crush him by sheer weight. He doubted his ability to get past any of them, so he was down to his last resort.

Link reached into his pouch and pulled out the Roc's Feather. It was somewhat sad that all he could do was run away, but the very fact that he _had_ a last resort was an improvement. He had no idea how the thing was supposed to work, but some of the statues were almost in range now, so he jumped for all he was worth and hoped for the best.

One second he was on the ground, the next he was hurtling through the air. He sailed over the heads of the statues, the wind rushing past him. For a moment he gave a joyous laugh, then he realized that the ground was coming up very, very quickly. Though he braced himself, the landing was surprisingly soft, probably another effect of the magic. Despite this he managed to fall over ungracefully.

Standing over him, one of the statues raised an axe. Link quickly scrambled to one foot and pushed off. This jump didn't go as high, but it was still much higher than the attack that bit into the floor. In midair, he had a second to view the entire room and saw that the others were doing well. Once he reached the top of his jump, however, he realized that when he came down he was going to land awkwardly on the statue's head.

All he could think to do was thrust his sword beneath him, wrapping both hands and the feather around the hilt. If this didn't work, it was probably going to be painful, but now was not the time for second thoughts. It had to work. In the split second before his blade struck the statue's head he thought he saw a glimmer of blue. Regardless, his blow shattered the stone and sent him sprawling.

The injured statue kept moving, but off balance from the blow it dropped to the ground. Over its body Link could see the circle of statues had turned and was moving toward him still in formation. His first inclination was to leap away, but he repressed it. He had a bad feeling that if he jumped around too much he would end up bouncing directly into a wall, which would be comical to watch but not experience.

As it turned out, he didn't need to do anything. Cid ran in from the side and jumped in the center of the statues. They started to turn to look at him, but it was too late. A glow could be seen within the circle, then all exploded simultaneously. Amid the falling pieces Cid whirled in place, blade circling him fiercely and leaving a swath of green energy in its wake.

Looking around, he found the battle was basically over. Many of the statues were still trying to move, but robbed of various limbs they were little threat. As if to signal the ending, a faint whirr sounded throughout the chamber as the hovering platform began to lower. They turned toward it cautiously, but Altair was the only one standing on it.

"They're safe," he answered the unspoken question. "We're done here."

"Alright!" Hero thrust his sword into the air, nearly posing with one foot on a fallen statue. "Now let's go after that Ganon guy!"

"No," Cid refused flatly. He replaced his sword in its sheath and drew a stick from his pocket. It was broken in half, but he just made a disgusted noise and thrust one part between his teeth. "I've been fighting and running for almost an entire day, and there are limits to even magical endurance. Not stopping is how good soldiers die. We should regroup before deciding what to do next."

"Where are Vincent and Din?" Link asked. Altair's eyes flickered down to him and away, but he did answer.

"Upstairs. Don't worry about it."

"Just what are they doing?" Cid asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Dancing." With that Altair walked past them, moving to the stairs at the other end of the chamber. Cid rolled his eyes and followed with his hands stuck in his pockets. The others followed after them, Link wrinkling up his forehead in momentary confusion.

"What?" Hero demanded, trotting beside Altair and being completely ignored. "Is this really the time for that? Why would you start dancing right now?"

"Oh, just keep your mouth shut." Cid cuffed him on the back of the head. "They'll catch up. Me, I just want to get out of this damn creepy tower as soon as possible."

* * *

The stars seemed unusually bright, barely obscured by the soft light coming from inside the house. It would have been a peaceful scene normally, but an unusual tranquility seemed to have descended upon the clearing. Most likely Din's doing, Cid decided. Having someone who controlled seasons was handy.

After some discussion they had decided it was best to go back to Vincent's house. It was easiest to rest there and probably wasn't any more dangerous than the rest of the world. This was essentially wasted time, he knew, but it was also important to give soldiers time to unwind. An inevitable weakness, even in people like them. Plus, he really wasn't going to complain too loudly about restocked supplies and clean clothes.

Hero had fallen sound asleep upon their arrival, sprawled over the first bed he saw. Cid wasn't worried about him for more than one reason. Link was the one that worried him. These battles were really beyond the kid, though he had done a decent job so far. Still, the way he walked it looked like he felt nothing but pain every time he moved. It would be tough before his body got used to this lifestyle.

Vincent and Din, of course, would be fine. Both of them seemed more alive than before, though thankfully not in an obnoxious way. But their eyes would meet occasionally or Vincent's hand would brush hers when they were near… Cid jerked his eyes from the inside and back to the stars. They hadn't changed much, but he did see a dark-clad form moving toward the doorway.

"Hold it." Altair obediently stopped just in front of the door and glanced down at Cid, who gestured vaguely. "Follow me. We need to talk."

"I'm surprised you didn't ask earlier."

Cid raised an eyebrow at him as they moved away from the house, silence collecting around them as distance increased. "Does that mean you'll actually give me straight answers?"

"Probably not."

"Tch. Not sure why I bothered asking." He came to a stop and turned to face the other man. Altair seemed to blend in with the night, an expanse of sky without stars. "I was content to let you hang around and be mysterious, but like you said, there's no way I'm going to let you do this kind of thing without asking questions."

"Then ask."

"Just who the hell are you?" This didn't get a response, the other man apparently unbothered by Cid's tight gaze. "Fine, be that way. But answer me this: are you a Link?"

"Yes."

"A Link just like us?"

"Are any of you just like each other?" One eyebrow rose and Cid cursed at it.

"You know what I meant."

"Yes, I do," Altair admitted. He folded his arms behind his back and looked toward the sky, pausing a moment before answering. "The answer is too difficult for a no or a yes, but let me say this: I was born in another Hyrule; I was a boy caught up in events much greater than himself; in the end, I killed a man named Ganondorf. My name is Link."

"…very well." Cid turned aside just slightly, examining the stars as well. "Just what's your game, then? Sure, you might have helped out once or twice, but in most battles you don't do a damn thing. I don't want to travel with anyone that vanishes whenever they please."

There was no answer. Altair's eyes were closed, making him even more of a shadow.

"Vincent told me what you did in the tower, and believe me, it doesn't make me want to sleep with both eyes closed. If you could shut down a sorceress like that, why not do it in the first place? I really doubt you'd set up a situation like that just to give them time to screw each other. What kind of game is this to you?"

"It is not a game." The words softly cut off the beginnings of his rant. "You are correct in saying that I could interfere more. But it is not that simple."

"And why not?"

"Observe." Altair's arm pointed and Cid looked automatically, though he didn't see much of anything. "Pretend that there is a rupee lying in that field of grass. Could you go and take it?"

"Of course. What are you getting at?"

"Could you take it without trampling the individual blades?"

Cid did not answer, his eyes widening for a moment before narrowing down to mere slits. After a long moment of staring off into the field of grass, he glanced at the other man's face for a moment and then nodded curtly. "I guess I'll have to live with that. I hate it, of course."

"I would be disappointed if you didn't."

"Yeah, whatever. I hope you find your rupee soon." Turning away, Cid stalked toward the house, ready for a bit more light again. He would need to think about the conversation further. Somehow despite everything that had been said, he had almost no more information than before. Still, it would be enough for the time being. When it came down to it, he had a feeling the name Link meant more than all the other words combined.

* * *

He saw that Cid was coming back and instantly regretted it. Moving his neck to look had sent pain shooting throughout it and even into his shoulders. Any pain combined with the headache and general exhaustion he felt was almost enough to make him scream. Link took several deep breaths and tried to sit without moving. Maybe it would have been worth asking Din to heal him, but he didn't want to intrude.

Cid pulled the door closed behind him, though that was of questionable efficacy given the hole in the ceiling. When he entered the others glanced up at him with the notable exception of Link, who continued inspecting the wall in front of his eyes.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" Vincent asked. Cid watched him for a moment, then sighed.

"Let's not talk about that right now. In the morning we'll have things more sorted out and we can figure out where to go from here."

"Fair enough." Din gave them a warm smile and got to her feet, her hand lingering on Vincent's shoulder. "Hero seems to have stolen the main bed, and I get the feeling it would be easier to leave him alone. There's a guest room to your right, however you want to use it. Vincent and I should be fine in a side room."

"I'll be outside," Cid told them flatly.

"Good night, then." The two of them moved through another doorway, leaving Cid and Link alone. Cid expelled a deep breath and looked through the hole in the ceiling with an odd expression on his face. Realizing that he was going to have to get up eventually, Link forced himself to his feet and began hobbling toward the guest room. As he walked, he glanced in the direction Vincent and Din had gone.

"They really love each other, don't they?" he asked softly. Cid might have given him a sharp glance, but he couldn't see well enough in his peripheral vision. In any case, the other man didn't respond for so long that Link began to feel embarrassed.

"Yeah," he finally answered. "Most people are idiots about relationships, but if you can find someone worthwhile, it works out alright. Sometimes it can be nice to have someone just to be there."

Link stared, doing his best to keep his jaw from slackening (only partially to avoid the pain that would cause). The other man's normally hard eyes didn't seem to be looking at anything at all. Plus, the things he was saying seemed so horribly out of character that it was like some kind of cruel joke. Perhaps sensing the awkward nature of the pause that followed, Cid glanced down at him after a while.

"Plus, it's a hell of a lot cheaper than prostitutes."

Despite himself, Link grinned. All was well with the world. With a painful wave he limped his way toward the bed in the other room. Sleep sounded very attractive at the moment. Today had been exhilarating, but sometimes it was better just to feel nothing.

- - - - -

I'm not sure what people will think of this chapter, though obviously I hope everyone likes it. This is a strange point in the story, a turning that isn't necessarily representative of what is to come. At the same time, it is an absolutely essential point that should make sense in the long run. Next chapter will be headed to a different world, which is a fun place in my opinion.


	13. A Cid to the Past

Chapter 12: A Cid to the Past

What finally woke Link up was a loud crash. He jerked upright and thrashed around in the sheets for a moment trying to grab his sword before finding his bearings. Outside the door he could hear Hero whining and Cid berating, so everything was probably fine. Still, now that he was awake he didn't think he could get back to sleep.

He yawned and stretched, aborting the motion midway through. Though it wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday, his whole body still ached from the stress. If they didn't have time to recover before the next all-day battle and marathon, this was going to kill him. Still, he managed to ignore the pain and get to his feet, trying to smooth his rumpled tunic.

Outside the sun was surprisingly high overhead, though he probably should have expected to sleep in. It was unusual that they let him, but perhaps the others did need time to recover too. They were human, at least theoretically.

When he wandered into the main room of the house, he found the others assembled around the table. It appeared they had been talking, but whatever had caused the crash had disrupted things. That made it only marginally less uncomfortable when everyone turned to look at him simultaneously.

"Well, good morning, sleepyhead," Hero greeted cheerfully.

"Didn't you start sleeping several hours before me?"

"Hey!"

"Feeling better?" Vincent asked, giving him a kind smile. "Considering they didn't attack during the night, we're probably safe for the time being."

"Does fighting always take this much out of you?" he asked, moving to take his place around the table.

"No, it will get easier as your body adjusts."

"Chatting aside," Cid cut in, "we've been discussing our next move. Like usual, we don't have any real objectives. The easiest option would be to go back to the Sacred Realm and see what the others have found out. But the others are saying we should follow Light or Ganondorf, which makes sense but is pretty unfeasible."

"I… may be able to track them," Din spoke up softly. Cid glanced over at her sharply and flicked the stick in his mouth in her direction.

"Explain."

"It's part of the magic in this world, to be able to sense the lives of others. At first I couldn't feel anything beyond here, but after meeting all of you I've been aware of other things. Possibly other worlds, but I can't be sure. I may be able to track down one of them."

"Huh." Cid paused for a moment, then shrugged. "More information never hurt. Do you need anything?"

"Just a bit of quiet and a more natural location. Excuse me." Din rose gracefully and exited. Link watched her go out into the field and begin to sit down before the door swung closed. The others glanced at each other, nothing to say.

"I wonder, though…" Vincent mused, "are we changing? Something has obviously altered reality, and I can't imagine that wouldn't have side effects."

"Yeah." Cid sat back and folded his arms. "Just fighting against other Links has forced me to work a lot harder."

"I haven't changed!" Hero announced, speaking up again for the first time.

"Thanks for that. Really. What worries me, though, is that I have a feeling even these little changes are going to matter. At the rate things are going, we'll need everything we can get."

With this cheerful thought silence returned, stretching for several minutes before Din came back through the doorway. "I think I've found one of them. For some reason I'm getting a strong sense there's a portal near the tower; if we get closer I can find it."

"Fine." Cid stood to his feet swiftly, not quite knocking over his chair. "Are we ready?"

The others didn't give a clearly negative answer, so he began marching out the door. Before too long they were again tramping through the woods, as they had so many other times. Given their surroundings, it was almost like when they had first met. This time, though, the air seemed unusually cool and refreshing. Was that Din's doing? In any case, Link thought it would be a very good thing she had joined them.

"Here," she spoke up eventually. Everyone looked. No one saw anything.

"I see what you mean," Vincent eventually said slowly. "There's something different here, like a door or a portal…"

"Can we use it?" Cid demanded, folding his arms and watching them. Din and Vincent glanced at each other before shrugging.

"Think we can just walk through?" she asked. Her husband experimentally moved forward, but nothing happened.

"From a specific angle or under certain conditions, maybe?" Din shrugged and brushed her bangs aside thoughtfully. Link decided it was best to leave it up to the experts and sat down next to a tree. Hero just stood and scratched his head. "It might need to be opened magically."

"See if you can. Could there be a key of some sort?"

"Possibly, but what? I wouldn't think that anything from this world would-" She cut off as Cid moved in front of her. Without saying anything he walked up to the point they were looking and then pulled his hand out of his pouch. Straining to look, Link caught a glimpse of something dark in his hand before magic began swirling. Moments later, a rectangle appeared in the air like a door without a frame. Through it a different landscape could be seen, though only dimly. Cid instantly moved his hand back to his pouch and glanced toward the others.

"Shard did the trick," he said curtly. "But that means…" The others nodded grimly; Link kept his mouth shut and hoped he could figure things out as they went instead of appearing stupid. Fortunately, Hero was not thinking along similar lines.

"Huh? What does it mean?"

"It means Ganondorf probably has a Shard," Cid answered, though he looked at Link when he said it. "Also, I don't think that's the Sacred Realm – if these things can let you move between worlds, that'll make everything a lot more complicated."

"Well, let's get going after him!"

"I don't know…" Din chewed on a lock of hair thoughtfully, watching the door hovering in the air. "I don't really feel his presence anymore, but I can't be-"

"Either way," Cid interrupted with a dismissive wave, "all we can do is keep moving. We're probably far behind him anyway."

Without waiting for them to agree, he entered the door, which rippled slightly as Cid vanished, a dimly lit version of himself appearing on the other side. All of the rest of them quickly followed. Somehow Link was last and he paused at the edge of the door, glancing around at Vincent's world a final time. Had it gotten colder?

He entered a second later, feeling a moment of disorientation before he found himself standing on a path with the others. Cid waved the Shard vaguely and the door closed. After giving an appreciative grunt, he pocketed it and waved toward the others to follow as he started the march.

It was a more developed path than some of the others, though not quite a road. There were some trees on either side, but it was nothing like the forest they had just left. Link looked up at the sky, watching the thin clouds move across the grey expanse. That was probably just a weather issue, not a difference between worlds, but it still struck him. The air seemed especially cool, though he suspected it was getting warmer as Din influenced it.

Not far ahead there was a break in the road, clearly marked by a sign. They walked toward it without incident for a short while, but at some point Cid began to speed up. He distanced himself from all of them, reaching the sign in a surprisingly short time and leaving them to catch up. When they did they found him standing in front of it, staring down at the characters with an almost hateful expression.

"Slightly different from the Hylian script in my world, but readable," Vincent commented softly, examining it as well. He shifted his head just slightly to give Cid a sidelong glance. "What is it?"

"I know this place," the other man answered flatly. Vincent's eyebrows rose slightly and Link almost gasped. They were in Cid's world now? The chances of that seemed pretty unlikely, unless he had somehow opened a doorway to his own world instead of the right place. He was abruptly reminded that they were figuring out the rules as they went.

"So where are we headed?"

"To the castle." Cid nodded down one of the paths. "I hate to say it, but that's the best choice. We can find out if the guy we're chasing came here or, if not, get supplies. We should also try to find a door that leads us back to the Sacred Realm. I'd rather not go jumping between worlds too long."

"Alright, so this is your world?" The others only stared at Hero, forcing him to go on awkwardly. "It is, right? What's it like here? Do you have a Princess Zelda and stuff?"

"Yeah, you might find things are a bit different here. First rule: you don't talk," Cid snapped, turning on his heel and beginning toward the castle. "Second rule: ever."

The aforementioned castle soon came into sight, living up to its name. It was made out of white stones and bore vaguely familiar crests of Hyrule, but it still made Link shiver slightly. No act of beautification could take away the deadly precision of the arrow slits or armored portcullises. He thought he could see guards on the parapets, but if there were any they were wearing grey and hid themselves well from this distance.

As they walked Cid moved to the head of the party, a move that no one argued. Like before, Link found himself in the middle of the group, which limited his visibility but was at least vaguely comforting. He did spend a long while debating whether Altair at his back was really any more reassuring than Hero, but these thoughts were dominated by the castle just as it did the landscape.

"Not to pry," Vincent said softly, "but perhaps now would be a good time for you to tell us the situation in your world."

"Seriously," Hero agreed. "Living in a boring old castle is bad enough, but this one scares the pants off me."

"I really didn't need that mental image," Din commented. Cid merely grunted and glanced toward the others briefly.

"It'll be fine. I can't guarantee you everyone in the castle will be glad to see me, but it's where we need to go."

"Isn't there another way?" Hero was edging backward, still eyeing the castle as if he suspected it would attempt to eat him at any moment. "I mean, this is Hyrule, even if it's in your world. Surely there's a secret entrance or something."

"Yup, around the right side. Filled it in years ago."

By this point they were nearly at the front gate. Two guard towers stood at either side, looking newer than the rest of the castle and more imposing. Several soldiers clad in armor and brown cloaks emerged from the doors, approaching them cautiously. Link swallowed and did his best to continue walking without showing fear. He had never considered that they'd have trouble with other humans. If there was a battle, he knew there was no way he could fight effectively.

Cid raised his hand casually, and all the guards relaxed at once. One of them, possibly the leader, moved forward and grabbed Cid's hand. "Link! Thank the Goddesses you're here!"

"Thank the willingness to kill my way back home is more like it."

The other man flipped open the visor on his helm, looking at the party carefully. He had a blunt face with a full beard, one that looked as though it was often suspicious but currently trying out a little-used smile. "Who are all of them?"

"I can't seem to kick the habit of collecting people," Cid answered, folding his arms. His expression hadn't changed, but somehow he seemed more at ease than Link had ever seen him. "But that's on a need to know basis. What's the situation here?"

"Maybe I'm not the best person to ask about that. But I can say this: folks are scared. News of your disappearance spread pretty quickly and people have been antsy ever since. Some have been proclaiming Ganon's return and all manner of madness. It's… it's great to have you back, sir. And I don't just mean because you're alive."

"Yeah, yeah. I need to be leaving again before too long; there are things to do. We need to restock and leave, ideally before certain individuals find out we're here, if you know what I mean."

As Cid spoke the other man's smile was replaced by a worried look. "That, err, may be a problem," he told them, glancing over his shoulder incessantly. "When we saw someone that looked like you coming from afar the usual procedures were followed, so…"

"Damn." Cid shook his head and turned as if to leave. Before he could take more than one step a female voice called loudly.

"Link!"

"Damn!" With a groan, Cid swiveled back to face the direction everyone else was already looking. Assuming the real danger was passed, Link moved to the side of the group to see who had spoken. Standing just outside one of the watchtower doors was a woman in a light dress, her arms folded irritably. Immediately he was sure he knew who she was, because she reminded him of an older version of the pictures he had seen of Zelda, the daughter of Hyrule's President in his world. Though she looked only a bit younger than Cid, she was still a beautiful woman. This effect was significantly lessened by the scowl on her face.

"Where have you been?" she demanded. "Since when did I give you permission to vanish off the face of Hyrule?"

"Oh, did my written request for permission get lost in the mail?

Zelda didn't even blink at the withering sarcasm and glanced at the rest of the group, eyes sliding over them analytically. After a few seconds she just raised a cultured eyebrow and continued looking, demanding an explanation.

"Excuse us," Vincent spoke up quietly. "I'm afraid our story is a rather long one."

"Yeah, I had a feeling that was the case." She waved a hand and turned to go, not glancing back to see if they followed. "Let's go inside. I'm not going to stand for an explanation of all the crap that's going on."

They followed swiftly and mostly in silence. Zelda moved straight at the portcullis without slowing and it was raised just before she arrived. Surprisingly, the area beyond had various bushes and plants, not nearly as utilitarian as the rest of the castle. As they went, Cid masterfully resisted any eye contact. Din and Vincent gave each other glances that Link was sure had meaning but couldn't decode. He, like Hero, was trying to put together everything that had happened and probably had a similar stupefied look on his face.

Eventually they entered the castle and moved into a small side room with multiple chairs and a table. Zelda finally looked back at them as she sat down stiffly in one chair and then folded her arms and legs and waited for them to explain. After a brief shuffle to find chairs, though Cid continued to stand, the room returned to silence.

"First off, what's been going on in my absence?" Cid asked, looking down at Zelda. She looked back up at him with narrowed eyes.

"At almost the same time you disappeared, monsters began reappearing over Hyrule. The Knights have been taking care of them without too much trouble, but the economy is going haywire and trade has almost stopped. None of our initial searches found any sign of you, so I called them off."

"Glad to know you care. Did you find anything else?"

Instantly Zelda's eyes narrowed. "Interesting that you should ask. We discovered a door standing in the middle of the clearing. Some fool decided it would be a good idea to explore. None of that group came back. But I think you owe me an explanation."

"Fair enough." Cid looked toward the ceiling and gave a long sigh. "Long story short, there are a lot of worlds parallel to ours, each one has a Link, and for some reason all of them got sent to the Sacred Realm. I ran into these people and we were trying to figure out what the hell was going on before we ended up here."

Zelda blinked. Once. "And just who did this?"

"We don't know yet. There's not a lot of information."

"Very well." She gave a slow nod and then glanced at the rest of them, giving a thin but not unfriendly smile. "I apologize for ignoring you until now. My name is Zelda; welcome to Hyrule. Is it safe to assume that those of you in green are also Links? What should I call you, then?"

"We've taken different names," Vincent answered. "I'm calling myself Vincent, for example."

"I'm Din," his wife added. She gestured between the two of them and Zelda nodded curtly in understanding.

"I'm Hero! Defender of Hyrule and-"

"He's the silent type," Cid interrupted. "By the way, just to keep things simpler, you should probably use my new name as well. Cid."

"Really now?" Zelda's eyes narrowed and seemed to be searching his for something. "Interesting that you would name yourself after your dear old uncl-"

"Let's not get into that."

Neither of them gave even slightly, creating an uncomfortable pause until Altair gave his name as well. The spell broken, Zelda turned toward Link and he had to swallow again. Even though she didn't seem ill disposed toward him, her eyes were very hard. He was pretty sure the faint lines around them were not from smiling.

"I'm not really a legend like the others," he said apologetically. "Somehow I got tied up in all of this, though, so they're still calling me Link."

"I see." Zelda gave him a slight smile, though there seemed to be a hint of pity in her eyes. She rose to her feet gracefully, dipping her head to the group. "In any case, I am glad to meet all of you. It seems we have much to discuss, so I offer you our hospitality for as long as it is necessary. Have you journeyed far?"

"No," Cid cut off the affirmative answer from Hero. "But yesterday was not a good day, so staying here isn't all bad."

"Very well. Nothing has changed here, so you know the way."

Grunting, Cid moved to leave the room and the others generally followed. Though glad they were going to be resting for at least another day, Link's mind was spinning just slightly. Things were happening too fast, without any time for discussion or reflection. Once more he realized that he was coming into the middle of things much bigger than himself.

"So Cid," Hero said softly, moving next to Cid and glancing at him conspiratorially. "Are you together with her?"

"Can't you see the affection between us?"

"Well, yeah, but that's normal. Underneath the fighting, though, I'm sure the Princess-"

"Queen," Zelda corrected, directly behind the two of them. Hero nearly face-faulted and Cid just rolled his eyes, taking the opportunity to slink down a corridor. Link decided this was a good idea and moved after him, though he kept an eye out behind him. Hero had turned to face Zelda, giving her a strange expression.

"What kind of Hyrule is this, that they let a girl be a ruler?"

"I'm sorry?" Her tone was entirely unapologetic. "Did you just say 'girl'? Don't patronize me."

"Well, excuuuuuuse me, Princ-"

"Shut the hell up!" Zelda's slap nearly knocked Hero off his feet. Resisting the urge to smile, Link looked away and continued down the corridor. It was probably all going to be downhill from here.

* * *

It was deceptively pleasant outside. She had chosen her room in order to get one of the nicer windows, opening into a central garden instead of the functional exterior. No one had ever dared to suggest this was her rationale. After taking a long sip of the tea in front of her, Zelda returned the cup to its saucer and sighed.

"Are you lost?"

"You know me, directionally challenged." Cid leaned against the side of the door and folded his arms. "Do you have any heart-felt feelings that you just have to share with someone? Because you know I'm always here for you."

"Ass." She did turn to look at him, though. Neither said anything for a long moment, nor did they avert their gazes. "This is going to be ugly, isn't it?"

"Yeah." He sighed deeply and kneaded his eyes with his fingers. "We've fought rogue Links and resurrected villains, but I have a feeling we haven't seen the worst of it yet. With any luck our world won't suffer too much of the attrition."

"These Links you've brought with you… are any of them worth anything?" She hooked her cup with one finger but didn't lift it. "I'm pretty sure _I_ could take Hero in a fist fight."

"Heh, I'd pay to see that. No, I just haven't arranged to get rid of him yet. The others are a lot more useful. All things considered, Vincent is about as strong as me. Din's magic might be as strong as yours and she's apparently combat-trained. Things would have been rougher without them."

"Yes, them." Zelda's lips twisted in a slight sneer. "Oh, how my heart yearns to be ignorant and love-struck."

"Nah." Cid's word made her glance over at him sharply. His face was completely unreadable, eyes seeing nothing. "Whatever it is that makes people screw up relationships, they don't have it."

Her eyes narrowed, but she decided to take a sip from her cup. Once she set down her glass, she looked back to him. "What about the kid?"

"He's like a younger version of just about all of us, I'd wager. Right now he's improving and shows a lot of promise, but I wouldn't want to trust him with the fate of the world. Though it _is_ generally a good idea to send psychic messages to random children and order them to do fight the greatest evils of all time."

"Your wit knows no bounds. What about Altair? Can he be trusted?"

"Interesting you should ask that." Cid unfolded his arms, stepping inside to lean against the wall. "He's not normal, certainly, probably some super being tampering with reality. But I have a feeling his ulterior motives aren't detrimental to ours, so for the moment that's a battle not worth fighting.

"And then there's that Cid character," he went on, eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Dirty bastard if I ever saw one. I imagine he hasn't changed at all in the ten years after the divorce. Probably not the type to reflect on anything."

She gave him a long, long stare before turning back to her tea. "You think I couldn't tell that just by looking at him?" But Cid was already turning away, vanishing into the corridor.

- - - - -

This chapter is between battles and very necessary in the overall scheme of things. Hopefully all of you enjoyed it – I know I had fun writing this dialogue. If it isn't obvious to anyone already, by this point you should be certain which game Cid is from unless you haven't played it. Obviously I've taken some artistic liberties, but I think they create a more interesting world overall.


	14. End of a Dream

Chapter 13: End of a Dream

"And the Western battalion?"

"Keep them at this end of the village for the time being." Cid jabbed the place on the map with his stick, eyes not lifting to the commanders that stood before him. "Move them nearer the door once my party is confirmed to have left the area. Once we are out of this world I doubt our opponents will bother to attack."

"Are you sure about that?" All the knights turned in surprise toward the voice and found Vincent leaning on the wall nearby, looking over at Cid and the map.

"Sure enough. Evidence suggests there are a hell of a lot of worlds out there, so they can't possibly afford to attack them all. They seem to be tracking down Links, so we're essentially a portable liability."

"But is there a Shard?"

After a pause, Cid stuck the stick back in his mouth. The others seemed confused, but he ignored them and kept his eyes on Vincent. "I showed Zelda the Shard and she doesn't think there is anything similar in this world. Her magical senses are accurate enough to consider them military intelligence."

"Sir?" Another of the knights broke in, earning a quick glance. "How soon do you think we will be required?"

"How soon can you mobilize?"

"The castle guard could march in half a day. Four nearby garrisons could be mobilized in a week; the others are outside of my jurisdiction."

"Ten days," another one of the knights put in. Cid grunted, swiveling the stick in his mouth. He appeared to be looking down at the map, but his gaze fell just beyond it, on battles not in his world.

"Once we get back we'll assess the situation. I shouldn't have to remind you that this is a legend war, not some random conflict, but some of you have probably forgotten. Don't get any big ideas about heroism. Let us be the front guard and acquire as many artifacts as we can. Once we've cleared out the monsters that'd kill you all, the armies can sweep in at full efficacy."

"What will the signal be?"

"If all goes according to plan, I'll be able to send a messenger with specific details. But since plans tend not to work out, we'll use the same codes we did during the Zola War. Is that all? Eh? Then what are you doing standing around here?"

As the soldiers scrambled to execute their orders, Cid pulled himself to his feet wearily. Vincent moved away from the wall to walk beside him as they left the war room. He had held back throughout the proceedings, feeling out of his element, but wanted to confirm about the Shard. Large scale wars were a strange affair…

"What will we do once we leave?" he finally asked as they moved into the courtyard.

"Not sure." Cid shrugged. "I'll make a plan on the fly once we find out the situation in the Sacred Realm. But in any case, our goal overall is simple: take out as many of them as we can. Soldiers, even my soldiers, are useless against someone like those sorcerer twins or Light. Having that many people makes a dungeon ridiculously easy, though, so if we can kill off the competition getting the Shards will be easy."

"If only we had the slightest idea why we were looking for them, right?" Vincent glanced to the side with a slight smirk.

"Yeah."

"Just so long as we're not missing our opponents' true motives."

Cid's expression soured instantly. "Right. They've been focusing on the Shards so far, but I doubt that's all. Again, I'm kind of banking on the others having more information. If a few of us can accomplish something, surely all the other Links can hold up their end. Are the others ready?"

"You bet!"

He blinked, looking first at Vincent and then behind him to the actual speaker. Hero stood with his hands on his hips, at the front of the rest of them. Din and Altair were waiting quietly for them, apparently fully prepared (though it was hard to tell in the latter case). Link was also there, looking a bit awkward in the new tunic he had been given. Still, it would make things easier.

"Alright, then. We're heading out, if-"

"Hey, you!" a voice called across the courtyard. Cid slightly, looking up to where Zelda stood on one of the walls. She was watching them intently but the distance was too far to make out her expression. After a moment she hurled something long and thin toward him. He caught the rod and immediately flipped it behind him to lock into place by his sword.

"Thanks," he called back, probably not loud enough to be heard.

"Bring it back undamaged, idiot!"

Turning away without another glance, he looked at the others one by one. There wasn't any hesitation in their eyes. Good. This was the way you were meant to begin. It had been too many years since he'd set out on a quest like this.

"Let's go, then." The group turned as one and moved from the castle.

* * *

Was she dead? Everything felt vague and unreal, as if she was floating in invisible clouds. She couldn't remember anything that had happened to her recently. It had been another boring day in the Sacred Realm and then suddenly she was here. Could there have been an attack? But no, she shouldn't jump to conclusions.

For the first time it occurred to her to look down. She wasn't there. Blinking, Linkina squinted and then suddenly she could see herself. For that matter, there was a ground where there had once been nothing. When she looked up, she found she was standing on a flat plane, very much like the Sacred Realm. No temple, though, nor anyone else. Other than a few trees in the distance or large rocks, which might not have been there a few seconds ago, the area seemed strangely empty.

"Excuse me." The voice was in her head, not her ear, but she still swiveled quickly. To her surprise there was a man standing there, clad in dark blue.

"Oh, it's you!" She jabbed a finger in his direction and struggled to remember. "Ulrira!"

"Ah, so glad you remember me."

"Are you kidding? I'd have been wandering for a week if you hadn't turned me in the right direction." Linkina's smile lessened and she began looking around. "But where are we? Didn't you leave? I should still be at the camp of Links…"

"You are," Ulrira told her. She gave him a strange look and he hastened to explain. "This is a dream. You were the only person I knew who was asleep at the time."

"Messages in dreams. That's par for the course, I guess. How can you do that?"

"It's complicated. Years ago, my quest involved a very great dream. Since then, I've been studying them. This is one of the more practical results."

"Okay." Linkina lifted her cap and ran a hand through her hair. "So what are you here to say, anyway?"

"Unfortunately, relatively little." Ulrira coughed into one hand and paused. "This is very uncertain, and I hesitate to pass along such information. But the consequences are potentially dire, so I thought it worth mentioning."

"Out with it, then. Before something can cut you off at the important part."

"Evidence suggests there may be an attack on your location. There were a few very strong opponents here that retreated and hinted at a big attack. I believe it would be unwise to take this lightly. They also mentioned something about Goddesses – but no, I should not speculate without information. I recommend preparing for a battle."

"Got it." Linkina saluted sharply and grinned. "If that's everything, can you make me wake up now?"

"Not from this distance, no. I'm really playing with forces I don't understand."

"Aren't we all. Can I at least get pleasant dreams, then?"

Ulrira gave her a wan smile. "Sorry. I don't think humans were meant to create such dreams, so this is very taxing on me. This dream will crumble fairly soon, but you should remember it clearly. Take care of yourself."

"Yeah, you too." Even as she answered, though, he was fading away. He hadn't been kidding when he said it would happen soon. Before his body was even gone the dream world around her was shimmering as if in heat waves, slowly evaporating into her subconscious.

Something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. As she turned, she had a brief glimpse of someone far away, sitting atop a rock. His clothing was black and strangely enough he didn't seem to be wavering like the rest of the world. But before she could get a good look everything faded away and sleep reclaimed her.

* * *

In his Hyrule, he was unmistakable. Green tunic, characteristic cap, gleaming sword, charming good looks. Here, he was utterly forgettable. He liked looking in mirrors as a matter of course, but seeing faces almost like his every time he turned around was rather disconcerting. It was seeking to avoid all the doppelgangers that led him away from the others and around the perimeter of the trees.

That had turned out to be a good thing. He had been looking for more interesting people and he'd hit the jackpot. She was lying on her back, stirring just slightly as if in the middle of a strange dream. Incredible. Since getting sent to this strange world he had only seen a few women in the temple as various Links found their own worlds. But none of them had been like this, a female reflection of his own perfection.

"What kind of dream are you having, Linkina?" he asked softly. As he stepped forward, he reached out a hand toward-

What exactly he was reaching toward would never be known. A gloved hand closed over his wrist firmly, stopping his movement. The Link whirled to find another standing just nearby, now looking at him with an unimpressed expression.

"What are you doing?" he snarled in a low voice.

"I was hoping you could tell me."

He jerked his hand away, staring at the other man carefully. This one wasn't unusual, almost prototypical. Younger than some of the Links, but his eyes were those of a veteran. Nothing about his movements or equipment suggested he was all that powerful, at least not in this company. Still, he seemed confident, as if unconcerned with the world around him. Disgusting. "So are you working with her?"

"Not really." The other man took a careful step back, apparently at ease but with one hand held loose and ready to move. "Like almost everyone here, we know each other by coincidence. But don't pretend you were just going to tuck her in."

"Oh, I won't bother to pretend," he answered with a rakish grin. "If it's all the same to you, I think I'll see if I can convince her to come with me, if you know what I mean. I've got women falling over me, of course, but another hero might be fun…"

"Sickening." The other barely said the word, yet the condemnation it implied was crushing.

"Shut up!" He moved forward abruptly, grabbing the arrogant Link by the front of his tunic and shoving his back against a tree. "You think you're better than me? Huh?"

There was no answer. His double just looked back at him, eyes utterly unconcerned. What gave this guy a right to be so uppity? He wanted to hit him in the face, to beat that superior expression to a pulp and-

A foot caught him between the legs and he crumpled with a gagging noise. The other Link didn't even watch him fall, instead looking forward. Linkina was standing behind him, rubbing the corners of her eyes sleepily.

"Thanks."

"No problem, Shiro," she yawned. "I probably should have let you deal with it, just because I'm curious what you would have done, but I'm cranky when I wake up. So did he just show up, or what?"

"Walked in, yes." Shiro folded his arms and leaned against the tree. "But you did seem to be sleeping strangely. Are you alright?"

"Yes… no. Maybe." Linkina adjusted her cap properly and glanced up at him, all trace of sleep gone from her eyes. "Do you remember that guy I mentioned earlier, Ulrira? Apparently he can send messages in dreams. He thinks we're going to be attacked."

"By who?"

"That was my question. He doesn't know."

Shiro sighed and raised his hand to the sword over his shoulder. "Prepare for the worst, then?"

"You got it."

* * *

By now he didn't even really think about the fact that they were walking. Though occasionally he reflected upon just how much traveling this kind of thing required, most of the time Link let his mind wander while his feet moved one after the other. Though it did sap his stamina, he didn't feel noticeably tired even after a long march, so things were improving. Once this was all over, he'd be in great shape, at least until he went back to his old lifestyle of games and…

When this was all over. He sighed deeply, looking up toward the grey sky. Things would never be the same, that much was obvious. Was his own world overrun by monsters as well? Even if it was, what could he do about it? All he could hope was that there wasn't a Shard in his world and it would be ignored. Perhaps then he could go back home and regain some semblance of his former life.

But he didn't even have any idea when that would be. How would they even know when this was over? There were obviously opponents fighting over artifacts, but their objectives were vague. Shouldn't there have been someone to show up and explain what exactly they were supposed to do?

This line of thinking sunk him deeper into despair, as it had on many other walks. Chewing his lower lip, Link tried to derail the train of thought. They had already been to the home worlds of Hero, Vincent, and Cid; the experience had been unusual. Though it slipped away from his mind whenever he tried to define it, each felt different somehow, in addition to all the other obvious changes.

All of it seemed a bit bizarre, actually. What rational reason could there be for countless dimensions each with a hero named Link? It didn't feel natural, more like something that had come from a human mind. He would be glad to get back to his world as soon as possible.

Still, the others weren't so bad. There was something depressing about this one that cut into his soul, but somehow he still believed it was a fundamentally good place. Even in the current circumstances, there was order and peace. He certainly wasn't complaining about their visit, in any case. Not only did it give him more time to heal and train, he'd gotten a chance to re-equip. The tunic felt light on his shoulders, but Cid assured him that it would provide magical defense in combat.

Up ahead was the location of the door, according to Zelda's information. It appeared just like the previous ones, standing to the side of the road with no apparent explanation. As the group gathered around it, Link thought to look at the opposite side, wondering if there was another doorknob. There wasn't. So much for that idea.

Everyone took up careful positions before Cid nudged the door open. On the other side was the hallway, apparently vacant, so they moved in slowly. This was one of the corridors he hadn't explored much earlier. Though everything seemed normal, it still made him vaguely nervous. Many of the doors were damaged or hanging open, and even the stone of the temple had numerous scratches and signs of combat.

Without speaking the group moved toward the central room. They took up the formation Cid had recommended; Link didn't understand exactly why this was effective, but he was willing to submit to the person who had actually fought in wars. The formation had him in the most defended position, of course.

Suddenly he realized that there was soft music playing and he had no idea when it had begun. The others appeared even more on guard, looking around but not finding the source. Relatively soon, however, a swirl of light appeared in the central room. After it arced past there were two men standing not far from the dais.

One of them immediately dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. His green tunic had multiple slash wounds and was stained with red. He had the simplest tunic and equipment Link had yet seen, somehow reminding him of all the others. Meanwhile, the other man was apparently uninjured and standing calmly with an ocarina to his lips. As he lowered the instrument to put it away his eyes flickered up to them.

"You have chosen a poor time to return," he said by way of greeting. "I suggest you go back to your worlds."

"Hell no, we just got here," Cid snapped back. Vincent took a step forward, eyes narrow but slightly concerned.

"Is there a battle going on? What is the situation?"

The other man looked at them for a moment and then his eyes focused. "Do you call yourself Vincent? Linkina said there was a group of only five, but some of you seem to match the description."

"Yeah, we talked to her last time," Cid nodded. "You know her?"

"As much as any of us know each other. Before we were separated she mentioned that there was a group that was also trying to deal with this situation. Let me start over: I am calling myself Shiro. There is a great battle going on outside; we should go back as soon as we help Arch."

"Leave me," Arch spoke for the first time. There was no hesitation in his voice and almost no emotion. "I shouldn't be here."

"In the middle of the battle he just stopped fighting," Shiro explained. "I haven't figured out why yet. But we should hurry and get back outside."

"Fine." Cid glanced back at their group. "We should probably help, if just to find others with more information. Din – does your healing magic drain you in any way?" She shook her head slightly, red locks swaying.

"No, not if I just create a season of restoration."

"Fix this guy, then. Meanwhile the rest of us can get ready." He folded his arms and glanced sidelong toward Shiro. "Are you some kind of medical Link or something?"

"Not really." Shiro continued to speak as he moved away, touching the wall and opening up the secret passage. "I'm just one of the few that can quickly remove others from the battlefield."

"Can you teleport us back out?"

Standing at the dark entrance, Shiro turned back and shook his head. "I can't actually teleport, just warp to specific locations. We'll need to walk to the battle."

"Guess that was too much to hope for," Cid muttered, scowling at the floor. Meanwhile Vincent followed Shiro to the entrance.

"What kind of enemies are there?" he asked. The other man shrugged.

"Just about everything. Most of them are just normal monsters, but there were a few massive ones. Linkina and I took out a giant plant she called a Diababa before we got split up. I also heard that there were a few strong fighters against us, but didn't see any of them myself. Pretty much the entire field outside is in chaos."

As their conversation continued Cid entered it as well, so Link thought it might be a good idea to follow. Discussion of their tactics probably had nothing to do with him, as he wouldn't be making any decisions, but it didn't hurt to be informed. It sounded like things were pretty bad outside. Probably all he could do was take on the normal enemies near him and try not to get in anyone else's way. Not that this was anything new.

Part way across the room, Din knelt beside Arch's body. The color of his skin and tunic seemed brighter than normal, more vibrant that it had been. His injuries were very slowly knitting themselves back together, but his eyes had not changed. Midway through the process his head moved toward her, or perhaps just rolled in that direction.

"Save your strength," he muttered.

"Don't worry," Din told him with a smile. "I should be able to heal you completely."

"No!" Arch cried, sitting part way up, his face abruptly in front of hers. "Why can't any of you understand? I'm not supposed to be alive! This is a travesty, a mockery!"

"What do you mean?" Her healing had not faltered, but she paled slightly.

"I'm already dead," he answered, slumping back to the floor. "This borrowed time… it's wrong. Thank you for your kindness, but I don't have the will to fight any more. This world is for you and your companions now."

"I'm sorry," Din whispered softly. As the seasons realigned themselves she stood up, looking at Arch for a long moment before turning to the others. They were all waiting for her, so as soon as she met them the group began to move down the corridor.

With every step they drew nearer to the exit and Link felt his heart work its way toward his throat. In the past their battles had been abrupt and chaotic, beginning and ending before he had any time to catch his breath. Something about this time was different. Perhaps the ominous sensation he felt was just anticipation of the battle, but he had a bad feeling it was more than that.

The puzzle room near the entrance had a number of people in it, all of them Links that looked injured. Some were talking with one another, but mostly simply sat with grim looks on their faces. Link could almost feel his blood chill as he watched them. What could make legendary heroes like this?

"Are we ready?" Cid abruptly asked, stopping at the very edge of the entrance. Outside clashing swords and roaring monsters could easily be heard, as well as the occasional yell of pain. Swallowing, Link did his best to give a serious nod and drew his sword from his sheath. Shiro did the same in a single graceful motion. Din nodded with her eyes closed, but when she opened them they gleamed with light. Vincent put one hand to the sheath of his sword, the other hanging loosely at his side.

"Alright, it's hero time!" Hero yelled, lifting his sword into the air. Everyone stared at him for a moment, then Cid cursed and turned, moving into the battlefield.

Outside the sky was a bright blue, somehow oppressive. Link managed to keep the presence of mind to check that there were no nearby opponents, but after that he was overwhelmed by the battle. Figures in green were scattered throughout the field, surrounded by a mass of enemies. He was sure that every creature he had read about and plenty that he hadn't was on the battlefield, stretched out as far as he could see. There were several bulges of warriors surrounding large monsters, but to him it all looked like chaos.

And suddenly they were caught up in it. A mixed group of monsters was already near them, and though his sword was in his hand he was completely unprepared. It wouldn't have mattered in any case, as before the creatures reached them the first had already been decapitated by Vincent. The others immediately moved into the battle as well.

Overhead a large bat-like creature flapped for a few second before turning and diving toward Link. He barely dodged out of the way, then cursed himself for not attacking instead. The monster had an unusually large mouth filled with teeth and its small eyes gleamed at him. When it swept down at him again he met it with his sword. To his surprise his attack bit into the creature and knocked it to the ground, where it flopped toward death.

That had been… easy. He was given no time to think about this, because several more creatures were moving in his direction. They were odd flying plants, their leaves whirling as if they were blades. Probably were, actually. Moving his sword back into combat position, he waited for them. This would work well, actually; he could distract the flying creatures while the others fought the main monsters.

His first blow deflected off the spinning leaves with an audible clash, forcing him to move backward to avoid the others. Link had planned to take out one as they passed, but he found he couldn't move. Barreling toward him was a massive plant, several times taller than him, roots and leaves flailing dangerously. A Peahat? Something like that? It didn't really matter what it was called if it killed him.

Despite himself he glanced toward the others. Cid and Vincent were dealing death on either side of them. Shiro was fighting a lizardous creature, deflecting flames with his shield. Din was surrounded by Stalfoes, though they seemed to be falling apart at her touch. Hero was hacking in his usual random fashion. None of them were close enough to help.

Link's eyes narrowed and his sword came back up to an offensive position.

- - - - -

Of the transition chapters in the story, this one is probably my favorite. Those of you who missed the minor characters will get a chance to see them again. We're also introduced to a very interesting character as well as one of my other favorite minor ones – you can probably already guess what game he is from, but it will be clear later if you're not sure.

Also, this chapter has my favorite Hero derailment in the story. If anyone was tired of non-combat chapters, those are going to end.


	15. Goddess War

Chapter 14: Goddess War

In the textbooks he had always thought they looked silly. Something to snicker about during a boring lecture. Though the unit of history devoted to monsters was a fairly pointless use of school time, it was at least entertaining on occasion. Beasts such as the Peahat didn't make any sense, like products of a deranged mind.

In person it was significantly less amusing. The stiff leaves continued to cut through the air as the hulking creature moved forward. Somehow it knew where he was and the smaller plants were targeting him as well. If he stayed in his position, the rotating bottom would cut through him at chest level.

Link had a better idea. Magic energy surged through his legs as he jumped and the Roc's Feather sent him high into the air. As he came back down he thrust his sword deep into the surface of the Peahat. Hanging by his sword on the side, he jerked it to increase the damage while hoping he wouldn't fall into the blades.

As the creature heaved in pain he lost his grip on his sword. The plant's bulb hit him before he could fall, knocking him some distance away where he sprawled on the ground. He managed to start to get to his feet just in time to see the Peahat rushing toward him.

It was tilted forward so that its leaves bit through the ground as they circled. Could they actually shred him? Link had no plans to find out. As soon as he got enough of a foothold he leapt from the ground, jumping away from the battle entirely. Immediately the smaller plants arced around toward him again. Before they got too close he took another long leap that they tracked as well. All he needed was the right opening.

He got it a few jumps later. Leaping directly toward the Peahat, he moved just past the large bulb and ripped his sword out as he went. His landing was rough, but it would do. The plant wobbled in the air, turning back around toward him. Before it did, though, he noticed that there was a large root at the bottom. A weak point?

Not that he would have much chance to exploit it. The smaller plants reached him first, forcing him to jump away again. By the time he landed on the ground one was already hurtling toward him. Were they anticipating his movements now?

Instead of jumping again, he dropped to one knee and brought his sword overhead with all the strength he had. Not only did his blow prevent the attacking plant from hitting him, it actually split it into two, both sides falling to the ground and twitching helplessly. Link blinked for a moment and then grinned. He had actually done that!

Sharp leaves cut through his side the next moment, knocking him over. One of the small monster arced away, blood flying from the spinning leaves. It was turning around with considerable speed, though, and he barely got to his feet in time. Worse, he could feel the larger one rumbling toward him from behind. Now would be the time a reasonable person would have gotten as far away as possible, but reason was the last thing on his mind.

Just before both plants smashed into him from opposite sides, Link leapt forward. He cleared the smaller one's head and twisted in midair in time to see it crash into the Peahat. For a moment it wobbled in confusion, and in that moment he was already running toward it.

Suddenly he was right next to the massive spinning blades and reality came back to him. What was he doing? That had been a suicidal, idiotic thing to do… but it was too late to back out now. Gathering his strength, he thrust deep into the root at the bottom of the Peahat. His suspicion that it was a weak spot was correct – the monster thrashed in the air wildly, but this time he kept a grip on his sword.

Unfortunately, that meant his feet left the ground a moment later. Link cried out in shock as he realized the Peahat was going to crash down the next second, burying him beneath its weight. But his sword was caught and he couldn't jump away fast enough-

Abruptly the plant's body jerked to the side, falling to the ground harmlessly. His sword ripped out of its side and he managed to land on his feet, though he immediately dropped to his knees. Looking up, he saw that an arrow was buried deep in the Peahat's body, the whole of which was beginning to burn. Looking in the opposite direction, Link saw Shiro returning a bow to his back calmly. Behind him, the other nearby monsters had been defeated.

"Thanks," he panted, getting to his feet. Shiro was still looking at him strangely, and after a moment the other man smiled.

"You fought admirably." A moment later he pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Link. "Use this. It has no use for me other than sentimental value, but I think it would serve you well."

Stammering his thanks, Link sheathed his sword and took the boomerang with both hands. It was made of a blue wood and had a large red gem set in it. The surface made his skin tingle slightly, as if there was significant magic again. Probably useful, though he didn't want to try to figure it out in the middle of battle.

"You can write a thank you note later." Cid was abruptly standing near the two of them. His sword as covered in blood and though he didn't apparently have any injuries, his face was grim. "This is just one group – there's an entire battle out there."

"Where as we going next?" Vincent asked, walking up from the other side as he returned his sword to his sheath. "I haven't seen anyone we know yet."

"We need to make a choice," Cid answered, looking around them slowly. "Right now the battle seems fairly even and both sides are mostly engaged. There are four critical points at the moment. One of the large monsters to the south is headed toward the temple, probably to kill the injured. In the central area the Links are massively outnumbered. To the east something is happening that's causing a general retreat. Closest to us, somebody is breaking through all the fighters. Ideally we should address all four, but I don't want to split us up…"

"Should we take the nearest one first?" Shiro suggested.

"That's the least damaging option, but if we do I don't think we'll be able to deal with the center or the south."

"Would we be that much weaker in two groups?" Vincent asked.

"No, don't split up." Shiro returned his sword to its sheath and began to move away. "I'll help the Links that are outnumbered."

"By yourself?" The only response he got was a slight nod. "Fine, but we still have to worry about the other-"

"Enough." Cid interrupted. "The others will have to fend for themselves. Let's move before we lose the chance to do anything." He jerked his hand toward the east and began jogging, the others falling into place quickly.

Near the end of the group, Link looked over his shoulder again. Would he be alright on his own? During the fight Shiro had seemed a bit weaker than Cid or Vincent. Granted, that was still incredible, but it wouldn't turn the tide of a battle like this. Somehow he had seemed confident, though, so they'd have to trust him. Someday maybe he could play a major role in a battle like this.

He didn't have too much time to think, though, because they were approaching another group of monsters. Before they arrived, though, a green-clad body hurtled past them, crashing in the middle of the group as they skidded to a stop. Link swallowed, no doubt in his mind as to who had dealt the blow.

Wading through the crowd of monsters was an enormous man clad in black armor, a spiked hammer leaning against his shoulder. It was as if there were no eyes inside the slit of his helm, though he felt as though they were being intensely watched. Was it just his imagination, or could he feel the man's footsteps as he approached them? The monsters began to follow, but the first that approached him from behind was knocked to the ground by a backhand.

"My name is Dalboss," he rumbled. "Remember it before you die."

"What was that name again?" Hero asked, smirking broadly. "Dweeb-boss or something like that?"

"Do not mock me!"

Despite his better judgment, Link took a slight glance over at Hero. Antagonizing this guy was probably not a good idea. Vincent was in drawing position, eyes staring at Dalboss without blinking. Cid, strangely, had sheathed his sword and one hand was behind his back, touching something hidden by his cloak.

Abruptly the dark arm moved, hammer coming to bear. Before it could complete its stroke, a form dashed from the side. The dark blur latched onto the hammer's handle and wrenched it away. For an instant the form was visible, a black wolf that somehow seemed familiar. Before Link could figure out why, though, it blurred again, crashing into the hulking warrior's chest. Surprisingly he staggered backward a few steps before dropping, but as soon as he hit the ground he rolled into a ball and sped backward toward his hammer.

The wolf landed lightly and began to shift, contorting and growing. Within a few seconds the form of a man stood before them, clad in a dark green tunic. He glanced over at them briefly as if analyzing, then back to Dalboss.

"Go east," he ordered. "I'll handle this one."

"Can you win by yourself?" Din asked, nervously eyeing the Goron. The enormous fighter was already back on his feet, hefting his war hammer.

"Linkina needs your help more," the other Link insisted. Hero's eyes widened and he turned, dashing wildly toward the east, heedless of the enemies in his path. With a slight nod toward the intruder Cid moved in that direction as well. Link's reaction time wasn't much slower than theirs and so he wasn't left behind, though he did find himself looking over his shoulder. The other man leapt into the air and melted back into a wolf again, but then there were monsters before them and no time to think.

This time was different, however. They cut through enemy lines with very little loss of speed, monsters falling on either side. Everything moved so quickly that Link barely had a chance to swing at any of them, just occasionally deflecting a blow from a surviving attacker and moving on.

Almost before he knew it they were through, in a lightly forested area and no longer ringed by enemies. To his surprise, Vincent took off running with no apparent cause, charging ahead with his blade at his side. Blinking, Link looked forward and realized that there was a separate battle ahead. Most of the combatants were incredibly dark, as if made out of obsidian. They might be, for all he knew. But in the middle of them was a figure in green… Linkina?

Dark limbs moved with surprising coordination, striking at her from all sides without damaging one another. She spun in a flurry of dodges and parries, but she was obviously wearing down. Link could see several visible wounds and she was holding her right arm close to her in a strange way. Abruptly she had a second's reprieve and struck forward, but her blow only put a large crack in the nearest warrior. It immediately struck back and she dropped to the ground.

At that instant Vincent arrived, sword streaking across the warrior's back. It stumbled, finishing strike prevented but with only a deep scrape on its back. With surprising speed it rotated and attacked, forcing Vincent to deflect the blows and temporarily pinning him in place.

The other statues turned away from this battle and advanced toward Linkina, but it was too late. She was back on her feet and a moment later Din landed beside her. Grabbing the startled warrior, she floated away with both of them a second later. All of the warriors followed them with their unseeing eyes and then began trudging toward where they landed.

Vincent was still locked in combat with another when abruptly a sword burst through its chest. Cid pulled his weapon back and barely stepped away in time to avoid the sharp spin from the statue. Unhindered by the hole in its torso, it continued moving toward him, weapon slashing.

It took everything he had not to run. Link wasn't sure he would have managed it if he hadn't been shocked stiff. These statues were powerful, more so than any monster they'd encountered yet. He counted four of them, but even that number made him sweat. Would it even do any good if he entered the battlefield? What could he do against them?

Hero was fighting against one and it had already cut him several times. He fell back and gave an angry yell; the statue silently returned to combat position. As the other warrior charged, something in Link's mind screamed at him to act. If he just stood here, Hero was going to die. But his joints were locked and his jaw was slack and all he could do was stand and shiver as the other plunged toward his doom.

Abruptly a chill descended over the battlefield. Din was standing directly behind the statue, touching it on the head. When Hero drew near it did not attack, remaining frozen until the attack struck. The statue cracked, breaking into separate piece that fell and did no longer move. With a victorious cry Hero kicked at the body and immediately began hopping in pain.

There was another statue behind Din. She was turning toward it, but the blade was slicing down so quickly she couldn't dodge in time. Just before it struck her, something blurred from the side, striking the arm away. The boomerang spun in midair and hurtled back toward Link, who braced his arm to catch the weapon. To his surprise, it landed back in his hand surprisingly softly. So that was the magic of this weapon. Before he could think about what he was doing he threw again.

Meanwhile, Cid was deflecting blows from another of the statues. A strike of blinding speed decapitated it, but even as the head dropped to the ground the body was turning to attack Vincent. He was prepared this time, however, dodging to the side and striking down. Unfortunately, his blow ran out of power midway through the torso and the statue was already sweeping its blade sideways.

Before it could connect Cid slashed down from behind. His blade followed Vincent's cut and drove both swords entirely through the statue; when the two halves dropped to the ground they did not move. Something of the shine seemed to have departed from the dark stone.

Link was about to throw again, but something caught his eye at the last second. Without thinking he hurled his boomerang, striking the advancing dark warrior in the chest. The blow did stop its advance, but as the boomerang circled around it abruptly halted, caught by the dark statue's free hand. Gasping, Link backed away as it began to advance upon him.

Then dark cloth obscured his vision. Abruptly looking at Altair's back, Link was off balance for a few seconds. By the time he could see the situation again, the dark statue was lying in tiny piece on the ground and Altair was glancing back at him over his shoulder. He only nodded slightly at Link's stammered thanks and then handed him back the boomerang.

Meanwhile, the remaining warrior was clearly doomed. Cid, Vincent, and Linkina were darting around it, evading the heavy blows as their own chipped away at the statue. Eventually all three broke through, ripping the monster apart and scattering the pieces over the clearing. As soon as it had ended Linkina dropped to her knees, panting and holding her injured side.

"What were those things?" Cid demanded. There were no enemies near them, but he did not sheath his sword. Linkina raised a hand for a moment while she caught her breath.

"I don't know," she finally gasped. "They showed up midway through the battle and actually killed a few Links. I took on this group to keep them from reaching the main battle, but they were pretty tough."

"No kidding," Cid muttered. Vincent, meanwhile, was looking at the fallen remains.

"I don't think these are natural," he eventually said softly. "Something about them gives me a bad feeling."

"I can't sense them at all," Din contributing, coming up beside him. "It's like they don't exist in the normal rules of seasons.

"Did you see where they came from?"

Pulling herself back to her feet, Linkina gestured to the east. "That's where the monsters came from and then the obsidian soldiers showed up after a big light the same way. I'm guessing the leaders are there. Sorry to ditch you guys again, but I don't think I should keep fighting like this."

"Head back to the temple," Din suggested. "Others are recovering there."

"Damn." Cid's eyes narrowed the instant she said this. "If there are many more of these things, the monsters will be to the wounded camp soon. Can we afford these kinds of losses?"

"Is there a chance we can end the battle if we take out the leaders?" Vincent asked.

"A chance, yeah, but how many lives are you willing to gamble on that? Even if Shiro took out the main bulge and Linkina warns the others, there will still be a bad situation. I guess we have to-" His voice cut off as he glanced over at Altair, who was standing nearby with his cloak unmoving around him.

"I'll handle it," he said softly. "Head east and I'll catch up."

"Just how are you going to do that?" Cid demanded, raising an eyebrow. Altair turned away, walking back toward the temple as he answered.

"There are two more groups of obsidian statues located south and south-southeast. One will be routed half way to its destination and the other will be destroyed upon arrival. Less than 20 total losses over three battles. Is that enough information for you?"

For a brief moment Cid looked after him, then he chuckled and shook his head. "Mysterious yet tactically specific? I could do with a lot more of that. Alright, let's find out who's setting this up."

They were off almost immediately, a sense of urgency overcoming them all. Link could barely hear his body's protests, a strange ringing in his ears urging him forward. Things were only going to get more difficult from this point on, but this was a battle that needed to be fought. He had a feeling that if they got far enough east they'd find who was responsible for everything.

Unfortunately, it looked like that was easier said than done. They hadn't gone far when they saw a line of six obsidian warriors marching toward them. As the group drew nearer all of them drew their weapons in a single motion. Everyone was slowing down, so Link did as well, not wanting to be the first to get near these fighters. Six? This was going to be a problem and if there were any more…

Three forms burst from the nearby trees in perfect unison, slashing at the nearest statue. It crashed to the ground, one arm shattering. Several of the others staggered and the others moved away, looking to face the new threat. They immediately split up to attack the group from different sides, but in the moment they paused Link got a better look at them. One was in green as expected, but the other two were wearing red and blue.

"Hey, guys." Another man was standing near them, this one in a lavender tunic. He gave a slight wave and with the motion Link recognized him.

"Vio!"

"Yeah, it's been a little while. We don't have time to chat now, though. Go on ahead while I hold these guys here."

"Are you sure?" Vincent asked. Vio just grinned slightly.

"I'm not doing this to be noble – I'm a coward. Beyond here… whoever sent these statues terrifies me. Your group has a much better chance than I do anyway."

"Thanks, Vio."

"You're wearing purple!" Hero crowed, pointing gleefully. "That's so gay!"

"I'm also wearing green, red and blue," Vio answered. "What does that make me?"

"Uh, one fourth g-"

"Shut up!" Cid ordered, hitting Hero on the side of the head. "Let's get this over with."

"I need to be fighting, anyway." Vio drew his sword and moved toward the statues as he spoke. "If they manage to kill one of me it'll be a huge pain to regenerate. See you later."

Though he followed the others, Link couldn't help continuing to look over his shoulder. What kind of power was that? All four of Vio's bodies were moving in perfect unison, chipping away at the warriors. After a moment he realized that they weren't trying to win, just tie them down while they moved forward. Shiro, Linkina, Altair, and now Vio… there was a lot of trust riding on them.

When he looked forward he wished he hadn't. They were fast approaching a group of trees, but while they didn't seem abnormal something about them made him immensely nervous. The sounds of battle behind them seemed to be getting softer at an unnaturally swift rate. He had been blocking them out for a while now and their absence left his ears ringing with silence. What Vio had said was true: the area ahead had an ominous feeling and was becoming more oppressive with every step.

The others jerked slightly as they entered the forest; as soon as he stepped past the first tree he knew why. All sound was cut off, even their footsteps. He could barely hear his own breathing, but it was swallowed by the silence before it could reach anyone else. Ahead of them was a straight path leading to a clearing that seemed to be glowing with a strange light.

Cid slowed to a stop and made hand gestures to the others. Link had no idea what they meant, but the others seemed to get the idea and began creeping forward slowly, so he followed suit. Din and Vincent seemed to shift closer to one another subconsciously, shoulders not quite touching. Hero was unusually silent, more repressed than he had ever been in the past. Part of Link wanted to run screaming into the clearing just to break up the suspense, but he could barely inch forward, much less run.

Suddenly they were in the clearing and all was still. The sky had been bright outside but it was somehow night, stars gleaming coldly overhead without a moon or clouds. For a moment he was disoriented, overwhelmed by the change in environment, but then a glimmer of gold caught his eye.

Standing in the center of the clearing, looking at them silently, were three women. It was almost impossible to tell anything about their features, because their bodies glimmered a soft golden shade. They seemed slightly different heights, but all three had the same golden eyes, somehow staring at each of them individually.

"You were wrong, Farore. Some of them did make it." The voice of the one on the right _rippled_, traveling through the clearing in an instant like a wave. Both of the others inclined their heads just slightly.

"Only four Links. Hardly a concern." The second voice was almost exactly the same as the first.

"Should we intervene yet? It is too early."

"Who are you?" Cid demanded. Link's eyes widened as he glanced at him; the other man was gritting his teeth and there was sweat on the side of his face. Could these three women really be…

"The Goddesses," the middle figure answered, turning back to them. "It is time for the judgment to begin."

- - - - -

Sorry this one was a cliffhanger; that's just how the storyline fell out. From the beginning there was only one cliffhanger that I knew absolutely had to be in the story, but that one is significantly down the road.


	16. Retired Worlds

Chapter 15: Retired Worlds

"Who?" Hero scratched his head and looked puzzled.

The others did not. Cid was grinding away at his teeth, eyes narrowed to mere slits. Din had taken a step back, shaking her head slightly. Vincent was frozen, positioned to draw his sword. Link could only stare in horror and disbelief. How could these three be the Goddesses? That flew in the face of everything he had ever heard from the legends.

"There is no record of us in your world?" Golden lips parted in a sneer. "I suppose some of them have already devolved so far."

"No matter," another of them spoke, though the voice could have come from any part of the clearing. "Your fate is the same."

"You can't be," Din said softly. She was staring at the Goddess to the right, eyes burning amber.

"Are you connected to the Din in your world?" the other answered, cocking her head slightly. "Yes, many of your dimensions have weak, benevolent Goddesses. We are the spirits of the originals. As soon as the battle is won we shall set everything aright."

"What are you talking about?" Hero demanded. "We're the good guys!"

"Silence! You are abominations, the first spawn of the perversion of the world. The legend will crumble, piece by piece."

"Really?" Cid's voice had a strange quality, unusually measured. His eyes were still tight and something lurked within them. "In my experience, legends have a funny way of happening whether you like them or not."

"Fool!" At the spoken word power flooded the clearing and all of them winced. But the word also held a touch of inflection, as if the speaker had been shaken for the first time. Link tried to examine the faces but could not see past the golden glow. "You think destiny will save you here?"

"Din, enough talk," the central figure spoke calmly. "It will not be too much interference to show these mortals the futility of their struggle. Witness, then, your true destiny!"

Before any of them could speak, the world swallowed them whole. Reality bent, leaving only an emptiness that lacked all color. Everything in the clearing had vanished, erasing everything but their group suspended in the air and the three glowing Goddesses standing before them. Link tried to struggle but found himself immobile as the darkness began to infuse him.

"There is a world you have not yet seen," one of them said, voice echoing in their minds. "Every world will be like it, once your legend has been washed away. Perhaps it will teach you despair. Reality will overcome myth and nothing can stop it."

Just as the darkness overtook Link's head, the three vanishing in a brilliant golden light. All of them were illuminated in pure gold for an instant and there was an intense pain. Link cried out in a silent scream and then suddenly he fell back, hitting the sand. He could breathe again, but all he could do was take in his surroundings. The desert under his back was cold, sapping the life from his body. Overhead, the sun burned red and the clouds boiled.

* * *

At the heart of the temple Arch still sat, leaning against the dais. Several Links had passed through, but he had not reacted to them in the slightest. Now he was alone, staring at the same spot in the floor as he had since the moment he stopped moving. His arms lay at his sides, uninjured but useless. A corpse with a heartbeat.

His eyes shifted slightly, looking up at the man now standing before him. Altair stood silently, his darkness filling Arch's vision. The broken man only stared for a moment, then his mouth opened. For several seconds it seemed as if could not form words.

"Let me die." His voice rasped in the silence.

"Are you certain?"

"Kill me!" Arch struggled to his feet, staring into the other man's eyes. His burst of anger dissipated and he gave a sigh that shook his soul. "Why doesn't anyone understand? In my world, I was born, I fought, and I died. I was a hero. But my time is over. My spirit found rest in death and I was at peace. But now…"

He stumbled back, staring at his own hands in horror. Altair did not answer, only watching him with unchanging eyes.

"This body is exactly like my own at its prime, but it is not mine. My heart beats, my lungs breath, but this is cheap life. All I wanted was a full lifetime; why do I have to relive this mockery? Do you see now? I should not be!"

"Do you want to return to death?" The soft question cut through the other man's words. His eyes, wild and searching, became still.

"Yes." The world barely escaped his lips. "Can you grant me that? All I want is peace."

"This may be a borrowed life," Altair told him, "but it is not worthless. You should have a death worthy of the life you lived."

"Yes. Yes, I see." Arch's voice was different now. His posture, the look in his eyes, the way his hands moved, everything had changed. "It is as if… a cloud has been lifted from my mind. It is time for me to redeem myself. What should I do?"

In response the other man lifted his hand, lightly touching Arch's forehead. There was no magic, no light. The Link closed his eyes and when he opened them there was purpose there. For the first time he gave a weary smile.

"That is fitting. Before I go, give this to the others." He pulled his hand out of his pouch in a fist and opened it slowly. Within a Shard lay dark against his palm. "When I first came here I fooled myself into thinking I could enjoy life again. I fought monsters, defeated temples, but in the end all I found was this and I realized how empty it all was. But whatever meaning this has for the living, pass it on to them."

Altair took the Shard silently. The other man turned swiftly and began moving toward the secret passage. Just before he entered the shadows, however, he stopped and turned back. For a long moment he just looked, then finally he spoke.

"We are many ages and of many worlds, but somehow every Link I have met has been younger than I. But you… I believe you are much older. Who are you?"

There was not a verbal reply; the eyes were smiling. After a few seconds Arch grinned and then strode into the darkness. He didn't look to either side, instead moving straight for the entrance to the temple. As he walked, he drew his sword in a single clean motion. His pace did not change as sounds of panic and battle became audible.

When he came into the main room, his eyes scanned the scene swiftly. Ten statues of pure obsidian were in the center of the room, marching toward the injured Links. Most of them had fled to the walls, hastily grabbing weapons, but a few lay to the side, some crying out in pain and other not moving.

"Stand back," Arch declared. He barely raised his voice, but at the words all ten of the statues swiveled toward him. They began marching, spreading out and bringing weapons to bear. The man in green clothes moving toward them didn't slow down or even look at them, his eyes set forward until the battle began.

All that the others could do was stand and watch. Blows rained upon Arch but he was no longer there. His movements were purposeful, focused. No attack touched him and his every blow smashed into one of the dark bodies. In the middle of combat he switched between weapons; bombs, arrows, and boomerangs struck the obsidian knights again and again. The battle melted into a beautiful chaos.

And then he was standing alone amid the dark rubble. He was untouched, his face lifted toward the ceiling and his blade held at his side. There was a deep pause and then he opened his eyes slowly. His feet were beginning to crumble as if made of dust. The sword and then his arms began swirling, blowing away in a sudden wind. A moment before his face vanished his lips parted in a slight smile, and then he was gone.

* * *

It was cold. Link had experienced winters before, living in a temperate part of his Hyrule, but this was different. The world seemed to be drawing the heat and life from his body. Somehow it was hostile in a way that none of the others had been. Several times he caught himself looking over his shoulder as if someone was staring at him.

They were camped in the middle of an apparently endless desert, huddled together in a small clump. Even Din and Vincent had had difficulty making a fire. Now it provided just enough heat to make the side of his body facing away feel even colder. Cid had said they'd camp briefly in order to rest from the battle before exploring, but he wasn't so sure this would help them recover. Shivering, he rotated to let his back have its turn facing the fire.

Everything around them was dark. Instead of a shimmering gold the sand was a dull grey. The clouds above were constantly rolling, threatening to rush down at their group. He was grateful for them, though, because they kept him from seeing the sun. Even through the clouds he could tell that something was horribly wrong with the red light.

So despite the fact that it was apparently afternoon in this world, it looked and felt like night. Hearing Cid cough loudly, Link turned back around to face the others. All of them looked grim, from the environment as much as what had happened.

"What now?" he asked simply. Cid was leaning forward, his forearms on his knees propping him up. The other glanced at one another briefly before Vincent finally answered.

"Before they sent us here, they implied this was another world. That means there should be a door back to the Sacred Realm."

"It could be anywhere, though. We can't get back in time for the battle, obviously, but _everything_ could be over by the time we find it in the middle of nowhere." Cid pulled a stick from his pocket and bit it savagely. He stared at the fire while the others continued to shift. Even just speaking seemed to keep the world at bay, though, so Link cleared his throat.

"Can we use the Shard again?" he suggested. "It let us avoid the door last time…"

"Thought of that. I suspect they can only be used at certain points, connections between worlds or something." The older man nodded in his direction after a moment. "Still, it's a thought. Finding the door or anything like that would be good enough."

"That may only trade being lost in one world for another," Vincent agreed, "but I would be glad to leave this place. Do you remember what I said about the Sacred Realm feeling as though it lacked something? Whatever that was, it exists here… and it disturbs me greatly."

"And why is it so cold?" Hero demanded, rubbing his arms vigorously. "Din, can't you make things more comfortable? Why aren't you playing with the seasons or something?"

"The elements are strange," she said, just above a whisper. Since arriving she had seemed to be moving in a dream, though now her eyes regained some focus. "They are savage, wild. I may be able to work with them, but they cannot be used to bring comfort or healing."

"Lovely," Cid growled, glaring at the fire. "I guess it's better to know we've lost that resource now than to find out the hard way. Basic supplies will be our bigger problem. There are probably monsters here, so we can survive off them if necessary, but I haven't seen any signs of water."

"But… where are we?" Link asked. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to think of such mundane things, not after everything that had happened. The Goddesses…

"A world, obviously. Nice vacation spot."

"I think this is a world whose Link failed," Vincent proposed slowly. "They said that it would make us give up hope and that this would be the fate of all worlds once we were gone. I can imagine the world controlled by evil would be like this."

"And this reminds me of Ganon's Sacred Realm in a bad way," Cid agreed. The stick in his mouth twitched. "But we should get moving, to keep our bodies from shutting down if nothing else. The stars are different and I don't see any landmarks, so any direction is as good as the others, I guess.

"Din, see if you can get a handle on the seasons here for now; I've got a feeling we'll need your help. Vincent, scan the horizon for anything notable. The rest of you, stay on guard and expect attacks from below. Move out." The others nodded and got up, eager to move, to try to escape the despair enshrouding the camp. Link gave a deep sigh, the first of many. No matter how far they went, he doubted anything would change.

The walking at least put some feeling back into his legs. Perhaps it was just walking on the sand, but the steps seemed to be taking more out of him than usual. His usual marching rhythm wasn't working because the sand constantly shifted beneath his feet. That was a normal problem, at least, and he would get used to it after a while, unlike the dark chill in the air. Even though they were moving at a decent pace the cold had invaded his chest and clutched at his heart.

He hugged himself and rubbed his arms to generate warmth. This made him feel a bit warmer for the moment, so he began looking around as well. What Cid had said about attacks from below worried him. Most of the creatures he could imagine that would live below the sand would not be ones he wanted to fight. Even if he saw them in time he suspected his fingers might be too numb to draw his sword by that point.

Of the others, none of them seemed to be having his problem with body temperature. Hero had a strange look on his face, almost one of fear, but didn't seem cold. Din had her eyes nearly closed and looked completely out of the world. Vincent and Cid appeared immune, of course, though they did seem tense.

By coincidence he happened to be looking in the split second they exchanged a narrow glance. Link had no idea what it meant, but decided it was a good idea for him to stare at his feet. Something was wrong, but they were hiding it and he didn't want to give them away. Did that mean they were being watched? Followed, perhaps?

Half-closing his eyes, he tried to concentrate on the sounds. Their footsteps were nothing but shuffling to him, noises surrounding him from all sides and dying in the stillness. Probably only heroes and fictional characters could actually use their hearing that way.

Lost in his thoughts, he nearly dove to the side at the sound of steel on steel. He managed to maintain his balance, though it took him a few seconds to draw his sword. It would have been too late, anyway. The most he could do was follow what happened with his eyes. Someone had attacked the group from behind, a scimitar lashing at Vincent horizontally. Without turning he had partially pulled his sword from its sheath, baring steel just in time to meet the attack.

Still with his hand only part way to his sword, Link blinked in surprise. The attacker was a woman wearing dark purple garments and a veil over the lower half of her face. A Geurdo? They weren't a distinct ethnic group in his world, more of a people of legend. Could they actually exist here?

These thoughts hadn't gone through his mind before another blow swung at Vincent and he ducked backward. His attacker pressed the advantage, both her blades curving toward his chest. In an instant she realized her mistake, but it was too late. Vincent's blade slashed from its sheath with such force that it cut through the scimitar she hadn't managed to pull back in time. If she had thrown her weight backward a second later it would have done the same to her.

For an instant she felt someone behind her, then there was steel at her throat.

"Evening," Cid greeted flatly. "If you enjoy breathing, not moving would be in your best interest." She snarled and jerked her head backward. Cid pulled his head to the side in time to avoid the attack, but she was already spinning, her blades turning gracefully…

One fell as Cid struck her hand and Vincent cut through the other just above her hand. She was disarmed and shocked for only a split second before Cid's fist hit her stomach. The Geurdo dropped onto his boot as it came up, sending her slamming backward to the sand. He immediately pulled his sword, but before he could strike with it Vincent put his own in the way and shook his head.

To the side, Link just watched them. He'd gotten his sword out, at least.

"Better just to kill her," Cid growled.

"We need information more," Vincent disagreed.

"This one is too dangerous. I'd rather not risk it."

"It doesn't matter." The female warrior gave a coughing laugh. "All of my sisters will fight to the death."

"Sisters? And stay where you are."

"I can't beat you; I see that. Just kill me now."

"For the moment you can just shut up." Cid rubbed his eyes with one hand and glanced toward the others. "I hate this type. We have psychotic women in my world, but not quite like this. Does anyone know what's going on?" The others shook their heads. Link blinked in surprise, glancing at all of them again.

"Um, I do." He was at least prepared when all eyes swung to him.

"Well? Out with it."

"She's a Geurdo, I think. We have legends that their people used to be a wandering nomadic tribe composed entirely of women warriors."

"That's awesome!" Hero interjected, earning him a caustic glance from Cid. Vincent just raised an eyebrow.

"I know, it doesn't make sense," Link immediately went on, avoiding eye contact awkwardly. "I figured they were just stories. She's dressed exactly like the pictures I've seen, though. And actually, they're all female except for one male every hundred years."

"Ganon," Cid growled, eyes narrowing. "The Geurdo of my world aren't that way, but I think I get the story now. That would explain why she tried to attack us on sight – she's one of Ganon's flunkies."

"You think we have a choice?" the Geurdo spat. "If we disobeyed he'd kill us, just like the rest of you men. If you're not killing me, I suppose you'll take your turns raping me? Just what-"

"Stop talking." Din's shoe on the Geurdo's neck reinforced her command rather effectively. "I have no such intention and neither do my friends. We're lost here and trying to get back home, so if you'd stop being so pretentious maybe we could actually have a conversation here."

There was a long pause as the Geurdo stared up at Din in shock. After a moment she nodded curtly. When Din took her foot away the other woman sat up and didn't try to attack. Cid folded his arms irritably and Vincent took his hand away from his blade. Seeing them, Link decided he could probably lower his guard as well, though he still stayed a fair distance away.

"That's better." Din smiled and clasped her hands behind her back. "Will you tell us your name?"

"Nabooru," the woman surrendered. "I am one of the officers of Ganon's army. Not that we matter much anymore."

"We're warriors from another world," Hero explained slowly. "You see, this is just one of many worlds and-"

"I know that, asshole! We've been killing you idiots as you've showed up!"

"Ignore him," Cid advised. Nabooru nodded in agreement but before she could say anything Vincent stepped forward, looking down at her carefully.

"What you said earlier… does that mean the Geurdo don't approve of Ganon's rule either? For that matter, what can you tell us about this world?"

"This is Hyrule," Nabooru answered after analyzing him for a moment. "Year ago, our king, Ganondorf, led us to conquer it. He was opposed by many people including a man named Link, but in the end he was victorious. When he got the Triforce of Power… he _changed_. He became a beast and called himself Ganon. Now the world is all like this. We thought the Geurdo would rule the world, but the reign is his alone."

"I see." Cid folded his arms and stared at her for a moment. "We don't like Ganon either, but the truth is we're really just interested in getting back. If you help us instead of trying to kill us, we can get out of here sooner. Where did you come from?"

"Our base is less than a day's journey from here."

"Take us there."

She arched an eyebrow as she got up, brushing off her loose pants. "What makes you so sure I won't just lead you into the desert?"

"You can if you want. I'm willing to bet I can last longer than you. If necessary, we could probably survive without water for a while by drinking your blood." Nabooru glanced at him sharply and he didn't flinch.

"That's ridiculous. It wouldn't work."

"It worked well enough before."

They faced off for a moment before Nabooru gave a slight laugh and turned away. "Very well. I don't have much of a choice anyway, so I guess I'll lead you back to our base. You aren't going to be welcomed there, let me tell you that."

"That'd be nothing new."

With that they were off, moving through the desert in a slightly different direction. Link followed, now too distracted by recent events to be cold. In a few minutes they'd gone from wandering randomly to going toward a Geurdo base. They might even have an ally, though Link wasn't certain it was safe to call Nabooru that yet. From what he'd seen of her, though, he didn't think she'd try to stab them in the back. Hopefully all the others would feel the same way. Even so, he flexed his fingers to keep them warm and limber.

It soon became obvious that Nabooru had no intention of leading them into the desert. A large stone structure was becoming more and more visible as they approached, looming in the otherwise unchanging landscape. The structure was blocky and imposing, obviously made for military purposes. Even so, it was surprisingly boring, when that was all one saw for such a long time.

Beyond it he could see what appeared to be a mountain range. The peaks were jagged and raked the clouds like claws. Was there some kind of glow beyond them? It might have been a volcano or just his imagination. With them as a backdrop the fortress seemed remarkably small and insignificant.

Distracted by the mountains, Link was almost startled when the gates of the Geurdo fortress stood before them. Everything seemed abandoned, the sands swirling over the dull stone without a sound. Too late he realized the others were on edge, slowing down even as they entered the open doorway. Too late he heard the sound of weapons and saw the flutter of dark purple garments in the wind.

Inside the fortress, dozens of Geurdo waited, blades pointed at them.

- - - - -

As is traditional for Zelda stories, as the end of the game approaches the Geurdo get involved and characters end up going to Death Mountain. Sorry to those of you who were hoping for more of the battle, but this part of the story is necessarily and hopefully will answer a number of questions.


	17. An End Deferred

Chapter 16: An End Deferred

There was instantaneous movement as everyone struck, a brief moment of raw kinetic power before absolute chaos broke loose. Link thought his best bet was to play defensive, so he drew his sword while leaping backward to buy himself a bit more time. All of the others moved as well, reacting faster than the Geurdo could on sight.

Several warriors had leapt from higher levels of the fortress, but their overhead strikes never landed. Din waved her hand and they were batted out of the air by a powerful gust of wind. She shivered slightly but still managed to dodge away from the Geurdo attacking her. Not far away, Nabooru dove for cover after realizing she had no weapons.

Vincent didn't draw his sword, instead almost dancing to evade the various lances being thrust in his direction. Catching one as it passed, he pushed its wielder back into the others. Obviously he intended to avoid as many deaths as possible, though Link didn't see how this situation could possibly be resolved peacefully.

Four of the women rushed at Cid with scimitars flying, but he didn't give any ground as he met the charge head on. One hand on his sword and the other free, he deflected the first attacks and used his free hand to bash his opponent across the forehead. Another swung several times, each strike hitting only air, before a fist to her stomach dropped her. Smiling grimly, Cid moved to better position and gestured for the other two to attack.

Backing away carefully, Link found himself back to back with Hero. This was mildly disconcerting, because he wasn't confident the other warrior wouldn't dodge and let him be impaled from behind. There were already fighters near them, however, and they'd meet Hero in a few seconds…

Swallowing, Link broke away and met the nearest fighter's blows head on. She wielded two scimitars in quick succession, slashing blows that he could barely defend against. Skillful, but not overwhelming to someone who had been fighting heroes recently. He could probably beat her if he could avoid multiple opponents and develop another strategy. Really, though, she wasn't much older than him. Would they kill each other without a word having been spoken?

"Enough!" The voice echoed over the battlefield, freezing everyone in place. All looked toward the source, seeing a tall form standing at the top of the fortress. As the wind caught the robes and made them blow to the side, Link realized he was looking at Ganondorf.

* * *

Again the stillness of the clearing was disturbed. Three pairs of golden eyes turned as one, casting a bored glance toward the two figures that had entered. Koume and Kotake stepped forward and bowed to the Goddesses before rising.

"Why are you here?" the central figure asked flatly. "The battle has not ended."

"I apologize, Goddess, but we were following a group of Links." Kotake's eyes flashed in slight irritation, but he kept them lowered. "Where have they gone?"

"We sent them to another world," another golden voice answered. "They will not return."

"Let us follow them!" Koume demanded. "They will die by our hand!"

"That is not your concern. There are many more Links in the battle to be killed. What is the current situation?"

Kotake sighed and ran a hand through his hair to stall. "Dalboss went and got himself injured. All of the boss monsters are dead and most of our forces are being pushed back. We killed a number of Links, but none of the critical ones. The obsidian warriors you sent were absolutely worthless."

"Silence, mortal!" All three voices spoke at once, words reverberating in the air. When they continued it was not clear which of them was speaking. "This was not a battle that you were fated to win. All that matters is that they have been weakened. Once our plans are complete none of this will matter."

"May I ask a question in that regard?" Kotake asked meekly. Given a shimmering nod he continued. "At this point I don't think absorbing any more will increase its power. We need a better quality Ganon to finish the project."

There was a slight pause as the golden figures glanced at one another, almost as if words were being exchanged. "You are correct," one answered. "It will be sent after the Links. That world should prove more than sufficient."

"Think no more of this," another of the Goddesses immediately interjected. "But rather, tell us the fate of our warriors. We have sensed a strange disturbance."

The siblings glanced at one another and eventually Koume spoke up softly. "It appears that a Link killed most of them. Something felt… wrong, but we could not determine the source. Is it possible there are powers that might interfere with your magic?"

"Not even slightly. There may be petty gods or spirits of other worlds, but there is nothing that can approach our power. It is most likely the essence of the legend fighting back against us. It will be dealt with."

"Are you sure?" Kotake winced at their glare but soldiered on. "Even if we destroy the legend and all worlds, many of the Links will survive. We've seen that even without destiny they are rather difficult to handle. Won't they be a problem?"

There was a pause as the three glanced at one another again. As silence reasserted itself the air in the clearing seemed to grow heavier. Koume and Kotake braced themselves against the force tightening from all sides. Abruptly it was gone, leaving the night cold and clear.

"They will be hunted down and destroyed," the Goddesses answered. "_He_ is finished. We have already sent him to begin the elimination; by the time this battle is won he will become the bane of all Links. Now go. Time is short."

Before the words had faded from their minds the clearing had vanished along with the Goddesses.

* * *

This time there was no immediate reaction, all the fighters splitting their attention between their opponents and Ganondorf. In the pause he moved forward, jumping from the top of the fortress. For an instant he was a dark form aloft in the night sky, then he crashed to the floor heavily, catching himself with one hand and sending sand in the courtyard flying in all directions. As he stood the Geurdo moved away, dropping to one knee briefly.

It was the same man they had met in the tower; Link was sure of it. His cloak was different, more similar to the Geurdo of this world, but it was in the same style. Though his eyes didn't burn with the same hatred as before, they were just as intense.

"There is no need for this battle," he announced, beginning to walk toward them. "We are not enemies."

"You certainly had me fooled," Cid answered sharply. Ganondorf stopped and then made a slight gesture with his hand. All of the Geurdo lowered their weapons and moved away from the group in the center.

"Many have come here seeking to destroy us," he explained. "Caution has been necessary. But please, I do not want to be your enemy."

"You are the Ganondorf we met in the tower," Vincent stated, no hint of a question in his voice. "At that time you did not seem so friendly."

"At that time I was foolish," Ganondorf answered simply. He clasped his hands behind his back and looked toward the sky for a few seconds before sighing heavily. "Please lend me your ears for a few minutes. My world is not like the others, as I have slowly learned. In fact, it seems to be quite the opposite. A Link who calls himself Light is also from my world, where he has reigned in terror for many years. I do not know if you will believe me, but-"

"We've met him," Cid answered. He had returned to a normal standing position, though he still held his sword firmly. "Go on."

"I attempted to fight against him, but I failed and my world was almost entirely destroyed. It seems that fate favors all of you Links." The Geurdo's eyes flashed, but they were more sorrowful than dangerous. "When he vanished I attempted to follow him and discovered a door. To my surprise, the Sacred Realm was filled with other Links, and for a moment I despaired. For a long time I assumed that all worlds paralleled my own, which is why I thought myself your enemy. But it seems that the majority of reality is a strange, inverted version of my own. So in the end we are not enemies but allies, as hard as it is for me to accept that."

"This isn't your world, is it?" Din asked softly. Ganondorf turned to her and immediately gave a slight bow.

"My deepest apologies for earlier. I fear that in my personal war I have often done whatever is necessary to survive, including using innocents."

"Um, no, that's alright. I understand."

"In any case, you are correct," he continued, looking back toward the others. "In my effort to escape Light, I found my way to this world. It reminds me much of my own. But here my people are still alive, and I hope that I can save them this time. I do not know what we can do against a demonic version of myself, but…"

"What happened in the tower?" Cid asked. Ganondorf glanced at him sharply with narrow eyes, then gave a wan smile.

"May I assume we at least have a truce, then? We need to discuss such matters, but they should be done more privately. Ganon has many eyes in this world."

Cid glanced at the others and shrugged. "Yeah, I can believe that. I wouldn't say we have a real truce just yet, but it's probably best for all of us to not stab each other."

"I am glad to hear that. If you-"

"Wait just one darn minute!" Hero yelled, making Ganondorf cut off sharply. "We're just gonna trust this guy? He's a Ganon! He's _evil_!"

"Whereas all the Links we've met have been perfectly good people," Cid answered flatly. "None of them have been total idiots, either."

"No, that Captain guy was pretty evi- hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Before Hero could rant further, Vincent slipped beside him and whispered too softly for Link to here. After he spoke for a short while Hero gave him an obvious wink and moved a short distance away. "Oh, alright! Sure! Good to have you with us, Ganon-guy!"

"Just ignore him," Cid advised. Ganondorf stopped blinking and nodded.

"I shall do so. As I was saying, you are likely tired from your journey; this world saps the strength. Please accept our hospitality for the time being. We can speak of the important matters tomorrow." He turned to look at the Geurdo and began making quick hand gestures. Link guessed they were some kind of Geurdo hand code, but none of it made any sense to him. "Please find them quarters and accommodate their needs. Nabooru, with me." Orders finished, he strode away and vanished in one of the fortress's lower entrances.

Quite suddenly they were again facing off with the Geurdo, though there was significantly less metal involved. Link edged closer to Vincent and Din and whispered to them. "What now? Do we really trust them?"

"Not yet," Vincent responded, his lips barely moving. "Be on your guard and don't let them separate us."

"Is that what you told Hero earlier?"

"Right."

Several Geurdo approached them now, giving small polite bows. "If you will come with us, we can provide you with rooms. Please tell us if you need anything at all."

"Anything?" Hero asked, grinning. "Well, I think I have a few id-" At this point Din smacked him on the back of the head and the situation became significantly less awkward. Beneath some of the veils Link thought he could see slight smiles. He couldn't help but smile slightly himself. Things were going to be alright.

* * *

Ganondorf's strides took him most of the way down the corridor before Nabooru could catch up to him. Seeing her he slowed his pace and gave her a sideways glance. As always, his eyes were both hard and tired.

"I take it they captured you on the way here?"

"Yes, milord."

"Please, don't address me so formally." He sighed and ran one hand through his red hair. It was thinning, no longer the thick mane it had one been. "Tell me, what were they like? Did you get an impression of them?"

"Well…" Nabooru looked to the side for a long time before finally turning back to him and speaking quickly. "They're good people. They reminded me of you when you first arrived."

"Good." Ganondorf stopped and made a feeble attempt to smile. "For the moment, there is no need to kill any of them. Tell the others to stand down."

"Of course. Forgive me if this is out of place, but what will you do now? Will you go back with them? Attempt to persuade them to help us?"

"No. When they have rested, I will give them the Shard and send them back to the Sacred Realm. They are Links. If anyone can change all of this, it will be them, not me. The sooner they go back the better. This hell will soon become much worse."

* * *

All of the hallways were rectangular and bare, a constant reminder that this was a military base. The number of side exits made Link feel vaguely nervous, as it would be hard to defend himself if a battle broke out. Overall the place just felt hostile, even if a battle didn't seem likely. Cid, unsurprisingly, looked right at home.

They hadn't gone far inside one of the blocky buildings before they reached a hallway with a number of closely set doors. Their rooms, perhaps? Seeing this, Cid strode ahead of their guide and began opening them one by one, glancing inside suspiciously. Following at a slower rate, Link managed to look inside one before it was closed. As expected, the rooms were small with narrow beds and only one window to let in light… if there was any light.

"These will do," he acknowledged, nodding curtly to one of the Geurdo. Without lowering his voice he turned and spoke to their group. "These walls aren't thick enough to cut off noise, so if you get attacked let everyone else know. Rest but don't let your guard down."

"We bear you no ill will," one of the Geurdo objected. "Can't you accept our hospitality with less suspicion?"

"Don't take offense. I don't accept anything without suspicion." With that Cid turned and entered the central door. It slammed shut behind him, leaving the others in the corridor. Link decided to do the same, selecting one of the adjacent doors and entering. The room was just like the others, which was unsurprising.

As quickly as possible he dropped his equipment next to the bed. After a moment's thought he kept the Roc's Feather in a pocket next to his body. He must have been a lot more fatigued than he thought, because sleep sounded incredibly good at the moment. Even the rather stiff bed was pretty attractive and he didn't notice the hardness as he lay down.

Wait, could it be a spell? For a moment fear flared through his mind as he considered if magic was making him tired. But he couldn't feel anything and no one else was reacting, so it was probably fine. Plus his body was aching like it was that tired. If he didn't watch out, he'd end up like Cid when he got older. Shifting to get a better position, Link closed his eyes and prepared himself for restful sleep.

There were no dreams, only nightmares.

* * *

In an instant Cid rolled out of bed, snagging his sword and landing almost before his eyes had opened. He was alone. Putting his hand to his sword, he carefully stood and examined the room. Even after clearing his senses he couldn't detect anything out of the ordinary. It sounded like the others were sleeping and there was no one in the hallways.

False alarm, then. That wasn't uncommon, given how lightly he slept. But this was the first time in years that he had been woken by a dream. Normally his dreams were unpleasant things he was grateful evaporated after a few hours, but this one remained with him. Just a young boy, very similar to Link, walking toward him down a hallway. At first glance he appeared normal, but his tunic had been grey and his eyes had been completely blank.

Just a dream, he told himself. Still, he had a bad track record as far as dreams went. All you could do with this kind of mystic thing was keep it in mind and make decisions as best you could. He might as well get started with the day. The light or lack thereof coming from his window told him nothing, but his internal clock said he'd gotten enough sleep.

Once he was fully equipped he moved into the corridor and softly closed the door behind him. On their way here he'd memorized the layout, but they had only seen a small part of the fortress. This was as good a time as any to explore. Cid set off down the corridor in the direction of fresher air.

A few of the Geurdo were awake, patrolling the corridors and grounds. They gave him deferential nods but otherwise didn't bother him. Good. He wandered in an upward direction, vaguely intended to find the top of the fortress and get a better view of it. Regardless of how this developed, knowing the terrain couldn't hurt.

Overall, though, he wasn't worried. If they were smart, they would know that the first night would have been the best to attack. Soon they'd adapt to the air of this world and even if their guard lowered as time passed that weakness would be offset by knowledge of the area. Unless the Geurdo believed they could defeat them in a guerilla battle in the corridors. He gave a tight-lipped smile; he had little doubt as to the outcome of that.

The question they hadn't discussed was what to do now. Returning to the Sacred Realm seemed the logical choice, but the actual advantage might be limited. Given the course of the battle earlier it was certainly over by now. Challenging the "Goddesses" again was likely to produce exactly the same result as last time.

Perhaps the better choice was to hide in this world, let them think it had served its purpose. They could build strength while his army prepared. If there was a way to get Linkina and the others, that might be the idea solution.

Abruptly the corridor ended, coming out onto the roof of part of the fortress. It seemed to be some kind of balcony, as it actually had a hand rail unlike the other roofs. More importantly, however, it was occupied by Ganondorf, who stood leaning at the edge, looking out into the desert. As he stepped outside Cid braced himself against the cold wind.

"Good morning." Ganondorf turned to face him, folding his arms behind his back. "You're up early."

"So are you."

"I have not slept well in years." The Geurdo King made a vague gesture and shifted to sit on the railing. "But it is fortunate we meet; I intended to talk to you. Are you the leader of your group?"

"Talk to me like I was, but I'll run things past Vincent." Cid stepped out onto the balcony and stood across from Ganondorf, his arms folded. "So talk."

"First, I'm not sure what you know. There are clearly forces that intend to destroy all of you, though I don't know who or why. They appear to be collecting objects they call Shards, which are scattered throughout the worlds."

"Old news. But you can tell me something: what happened in the tower with Light?"

"Ah." Ganondorf leaned back further, eyes becoming unfocused against the turbulent sky. "That is not so complicated. We reached the top of the tower and encountered Light. As always, he was beyond my reach. However, the battle was a success, though at the cost of my comrade. In retrospect, I suppose that is not such a loss."

"A success?"

"Yes." From his robes Ganondorf pulled a Shard that glinted darkly, almost resonating with the black sun above. "He was trying to get this, so I tried to stop him. But this reeks of a quest. That has nothing to do with me." He threw the Shard with a sharp gesture and Cid moved to catch it with one hand. Without speaking he slipped it inside his tunic. Two.

"You're just giving it to us? No test, no exchange?"

"No. Take it and return to the Sacred Realm; we can show you the door back. You should have nothing to do with me."

"Why is that?" Cid folded his arms and watching the taller man carefully. "Do you know something we don't?"

"Not exactly." Ganondorf sighed deeply and looked away, gaze losing itself in the sand flowing below. "Since I have come to this world, I have been gathering Geurdo against Ganon. I am sure he already knows of me. Soon he will tire of sending servants and come to do battle himself. Even if we win that battle, it will be at tremendous loss of life. And yet it will accomplish nearly nothing, not on the scale of dimensions. All of you have better things to do."

"Not necessarily. What if this world has another Shard? We're not in any hurry here, and haste can often ruin armies."

"I disagree, but I won't force you." Ganondorf shifted to his feet and sighed. "What will be will be. Fate has a funny way of doing that." He gave a nod and then jumped backward over the railing. For a moment his cloak fluttered around him and then he dropped out of sight, vanishing into the fortress. Cid stood and watched the sands for a while, then leaned against the railing and dropped his forehead to one hand.

* * *

The sentry paused, looking back into the desert. For the most part patrols were a cursory activity, something to keep everyone active. On several occasions there had been attacks by monsters, but on all of those Ganondorf had detected them long before they came into sight. There had been a few Links, most recently this group, but they were usually found by the sweeping patrols. No one had ever come directly to the fortress.

Yet there was someone approaching, a figure wrapped in black striding across the desert without looking to the side. The Geurdo swallowed and called to some of the others to get ready for the intruder. When she looked back up she nearly jumped back, restrained only by the realization that she was atop the thin wall.

He was closer. She couldn't be sure, but it was as if in the moment she had looked away he had crossed far more desert than he should have been able to at his pace. Even now, despite the fact that he wasn't even jogging, he seemed to be approaching them rather swiftly.

When he reached the entrance she lost sight of him for a moment. Somehow he was through the gate, stepping into the courtyard. Startled, it was all she could do to turn and ready her bow. By the time she notched an arrow, however, others were attacking him from the sides. An instant later all of them were knocked away, smashing into the walls as if they weighed absolutely nothing.

Her fingers were shaking, her eyes wide. How had he defeated all of them so easily? But training dominated fear, and the arrow flew from the string. She was certain he would catch it, if the shaft didn't explode in midair, so she drew her scimitars and leapt at his back.

All he did was turn, shifting slightly to look at her. The arrow swept just past his face, though it didn't even rustle his silvery hair. She caught a glimpse of his movement, this time, one hand rising to tap her on the shoulder. Though the blow felt soft, it sent her flying to hit the stone spread-eagle. Somehow, this impact caused no pain, but she still slumped to the ground in shock.

"Enough of this," Altair spoke. "There is too little time."

- - - - -

This is the most page breaks in quite a few chapters...


	18. Edges

Chapter 17: Edges

Cid folded his arms and raising an eyebrow at Altair. The other man's eyes revealed nothing, as usual. Around the room, the others shifted nervously, looking between them. Since they had gathered Vincent had merely closed his eyes and was sitting motionlessly.

"I said I would catch up, didn't I?" Altair asked.

"Thanks for not being tardy," Cid replied drolly. "There are a lot of obvious questions I really doubt it would be worth asking, so let's move on. What happened in the battle?"

"The monster army retreated. Links were lost and even more have fled to their own worlds. Those you have met remain, preparing for another battle."

"Let's join 'em!" Hero declared. "We'll make an all star Links team and take out those stupid bad guys!"

"Why does my 'shut up' keep expiring?" Cid growled. "Gathering might be a good idea, but even twenty Links won't do any good against an entire army. Attrition is our biggest problem, and they have a hell of a lot of it on their side. If we can last through another battle and the army from my world arrives that will help, but even so we can't survive a sustained war."

"There will not be a war." Everyone glanced toward Altair, who continued calmly. "Before coming here I gathered information on the enemy. I do not believe they will attack again until they are certain of complete victory. But that will be soon."

"What are we supposed to do, then?" Link asked. Something about the way everyone was speaking disturbed him deeply. It was like they were talking about the end of the world…

"Evidence suggests that two weapons are being prepared for the final battle. I believe they will be taken to this world prior to completion. We have at most two weeks to prepare. The battle here will be the only precursor to the end."

"What happens after this battle?" Cid demanded. Altair's eyes only looked back at him quietly, though after a moment he responded.

"This is prediction, not prophecy. I could very well be wrong."

He gave a humorless chuckle. "How encouraging. Regardless, if what you say is true, we need to prepare for a battle in this world. If we're going to be fighting people like Light or the magic wonder twins I don't want any distractions, so let's take out Ganon. Shouldn't be too hard, given that I've already had practice."

"Not necessarily." Ganondorf's voice floated from the corridor, making Link and Hero jump in fright and the others turn. He stepped into the room, arms still clasped behind his back. "I apologize for eavesdropping, but I think it is rather clear this affects me. Fight your battle here if you must, but leave Ganon to me. What you say is impossible."

"Define 'impossible.'"

"Ganon's fortress cannot be approached unless all eight Barrier Temples are destroyed. The Link of this world died in the sixth and the locations of the last two are unknown. Each of them is filled with traps and monsters and cannot be destroyed without reaching the very bottom and battling a guardian. I cannot ask you to do such a thing."

"Why not?" Vincent's voice brought silence to the room. He slowly opened his eyes and looked over at Ganondorf. "It's less than our own worlds demanded of us. If we need to prepare for a final battle, a dungeon might be exactly what I need."

"Heh, my thoughts exactly." Cid unfolded his arms. "No, keep your mouth shut, Ganondorf. We're going to help you whether you like it or not. Three dungeons, right? Get us the location of the sixth and we can take it out by today. After that Vincent and I can split up and search for the others. Din can try to find one through the elements or whatever."

"What about me?" Hero demanded, getting to his feet.

"Um, no. Actually, I have a much more important job for you. Head north and find something sacred for me."

"Alright! What?"

"Anything."

While the others spoke, Link found himself sinking further back into his seat. His sanity might have been submerged lately, but it was returning full force. Dungeons and monsters and Ganon… this was the kind of thing that should happen in stories, not to real people. Not to him. He had been over his head for so long that he almost believed he could breathe water, but he was running out of air…

"What about me?" he asked softly. Most of the others didn't seem to notice, discussing other plans and pacifying Hero. Altair tilted his head slightly in his direction and Cid glanced over. He made a dismissive gesture.

"We don't expect you to take on a dungeon just yet," he answered. "That doesn't mean you get to sit and slack off, though. All of us need to prepare, which means it's time for you to train. Yes, again."

* * *

All of them were beyond belief. For the second time in her life the sentry had seen a lone figure approaching the fortress, though this encounter had been very different. This encounter had fortunately been significantly less embarrassing. She had recognized the figure from some distance away as Vincent, one of the nicer Links that had arrived.

It was time to trade watch anyway, so she went down to meet him. His clothing was ripped in many places and he walked as if very tired, but there was a small grin on his face. Somehow he looked more alive than he had been since arriving. The terrible darkness that coated the world almost seemed to give way before him.

She had been one of the guards that went with Ganondorf to the Barrier Temple and the experience had shaken her. They had expected monsters and traps, but it had been far crueler than she had imagined. Several warriors had been lost before Ganondorf ordered them back and went on alone. Even he had returned several days later, admitting defeat. That place of horror was beyond all of them.

Yet here he was, apparently successful and _grinning_. Her plan had been to greet him, but instead she shivered. After he had walked past she recovered and followed him.

"Were you successful?" Not much of a question, but…

His eyes flickered to look at her, all expression gone. For a moment they were so intense she nearly drew her scimitars, but then he smiled and his face softened considerably. "Yes. The sixth Barrier Temple is destroyed."

"Are you… alright?"

"Alright?" He looked down and saw his wounds as if for the first time. "Oh, these are no concern. It took us a little while to get back into the rhythm of things."

"What about Cid? Wasn't he with you?"

"We took out the guardian together. Almost too easy, really. He said it didn't seem right to return here before it was over, so he's sleeping in the wild until he finds the next temple. As for the last one… any progress, Din?" Vincent stopped walking and glanced to the side. The Geurdo followed his gaze and blinked in surprise. Din stood in the doorway to the sleeping quarters and the guard hadn't sensed her at all. She didn't give off the aura of a warrior, but she certainly seemed dangerous at times.

"I found something odd you should investigate, at least," she answered. "I'll have more information by tomorrow."

"That works well." Vincent stepped closer and she moved into his embrace. When they parted they found the Geurdo watching them with a very strange expression on her face.

"So the two of you are…" Her voice faded from quiet to inaudible for a moment. "Some of us were wondering, but we weren't sure."

"Ah, I never thought how strange this might be for you." Din moved over to the guard with a concerned look on her face. "I'm sorry if-"

"No, it isn't that." The guard covered her mouth with her hand even though it was already veiled. "What the two of you have is… nice. In this world, we can't even think about anything like that. I… I just…"

"When all of this is over, do you want to come back with us?"

The Geurdo jerked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"The gates between worlds will still be open, won't they?" Vincent pointed out. "None of you have to stay here."

"Maybe," she agreed weakly, biting her lip. "I hate this place, but yet, it's all I've ever known. I don't know what to think…" Quite abruptly she turned away, cutting off the conversation as she almost fled down the corridor. Din and Vincent remained standing in the corridor a long time before going inside.

* * *

The scimitars made shimmering arcs through the air, but they were more beautiful than effective. Link shot past them and stabbed forward. His blow was deflected, but the Geurdo was forced to take another step back. They were faster than him and better with their swords, but he was getting a sense for their style now. All of them fought with a similar strategy, so if he could disrupt their spinning blows they left themselves open.

Not that it helped when they were coming from multiple sides at once. At the moment he was sparring one on one, though, so he wasn't doing badly. His opponent was a tall woman with brown-red hair who was at least two steps better than him. When he realized her next flurry of blows was too much for him to parry, he launched himself into the air with the Roc's Feather.

She smirked just slightly, waiting for him to come down. He'd learned early on that such high jumps were a bad idea. They weren't coming after him seriously, so it had only cost him some bruises and pride, but in real life he would have been dead. This time, though, she was assuming too much.

In midair he pulled his boomerang from his belt and hurled it downward. Startled, all she could do was jump away. The weapon ricocheted off the ground and jerked itself through the air back toward him. He thought he had the magic effect down now and he was working on integrating it into combat more. As soon as he landed he caught the boomerang with his free hand and turned.

By that point she was attacking again, of course. She seemed confident until her first blow was parried by the boomerang instead of the sword. That moment of confusion was enough and he lunged forward, stopping his blade just in front of her veil.

There was a tense pause, then she lowered her scimitars with a chuckle. "Kid, you're going to be scary when you grow up."

"Thanks. I just hope I'm scary enough now that I grow up at all."

"Do you have to go with the others? It strikes me as fundamentally wrong for children to take part in war."

Link returned his sword to his sheath with a grin. "People have said the same thing about women."

"Touché." Her scimitars spun around to return to the sash at her waist, signaling the end of practice for the time being. "Take a few hours to practice with that ranged weapon. It has strong magic, but unless you can throw it faster you won't hit anyone with it. After that, we should probably fight you two on one from now on."

"Are you serious? I can't even make you fight seriously yet!"

"Oh, I'm more serious than you might think. But it's mostly because I get the feeling you're the type that develops best when given a challenge."

"I guess I need that, if I'm going to keep up with the others." Link dropped back to sit on the floor of the sparring room and let his muscles rest. The Geurdo was frowning slightly, giving him an expression he didn't think he liked.

"The world is an ugly place," she said abruptly, her tone different than before. He gave her a curious expression, but she didn't look into his eyes. After a pause she made several hasty movements, pulling metal bracers off her wrists and tossing them at him. Taken off guard, Link didn't catch them and they hit his chest, falling to the floor where he stared at them stupidly.

"What?"

"If you're really going to be fighting with them, you need those more than I do." She turned away swiftly, moving toward one of the exits. "Those will augment your strength somewhat. Don't break them." Before he could say anything in response she had vanished in the shadows of the doorway. He hadn't even gotten a chance to ask her name.

With a sigh Link got to his feet, picking up the bracers. Would they actually fit him? Maybe a woman's wrists would be similar to a kid's. They slid on easily enough and then seemed to tighten, not pinching but hugging his skin. More magic, then. Just how strong would these make him? He had a bad feeling that strength wouldn't matter at all if he fought another Link, but it might keep him from being overpowered by everything.

As far as he could tell, he didn't have a hint before it happened. Somehow he still jumped to the side as a spike shot past him. It hit the floor heavily, then began retracting on a chain. Link followed it to find Hero holding the hookshot and giving him a thumbs up.

"That was pretty fast there. Looks like your training is paying off; I'm impressed."

"You tried to shoot me in the face!"

"Aw, I knew you'd dodge it."

"Then why were you impressed?" Link didn't have the strength to argue much with Hero, though. There were probably things he could still learn from the man, but there was a gap growing between them. If he was really a Link, he didn't want to become one like Hero. Immediately after thinking this he felt guilty, but his opinion didn't change.

"Are you having any luck with these Geurdo?"

"Huh?"

"Luck," Hero repeated, looking over at him like he was stupid. "Given that I'm a hero and everything, not to mention that there are far more girls than guys here, you'd think that when I asked them to kiss me they would."

"Um, does that work for you in your world?" Link asked, not sure he wanted the answer.

"Come to think of it, no, not at all. Maybe I'm taking the wrong approach to this. I should be able to take any of them in a fight. If I beat them they should have to marry me or something, right?"

"Do you know how terrible that is?"

"Well, excuuuuuuus-"

"Never mind."

"What, you don't think it'd work?" Hero scratched his head and then shrugged theatrically. "Yeah, maybe not. I'll have to go think about it some more."

Several pertinent questions entered Link's mind, but he decided it really wasn't worth it. As Hero left he returned to his training, throwing his boomerang toward the wall as if he hated the stone. The way things were going, he couldn't afford to worry about anyone other than himself.

* * *

They were fighting in the middle of the courtyard when he came back. It was five on one, a hopeless battle for Link, but he had actually asked for those odds. Though the Geurdo were good, two or three alone couldn't give him the feeling of being utterly outclassed like he had felt against some of their opponents.

Five was an exercise in delaying the inevitable, though made significantly easier by careful use of the Roc's Feather. He had trouble keeping track of all of them at once, so one would usually show up abruptly. Those instances had resulted in a number of bleeding, if shallow, cuts on his arms and side. It helped to hold them at bay by keeping the boomerang constantly in the air, since it would always home toward his position.

Unfortunately, this time it arced out of nowhere and smacked him in the face. The nearest Geurdo could have been on him an instant, but instead she just pointed and laughed. After making sure his nose wasn't broken, Link had to laugh as well. It was clearly over, anyway.

In the pause before everyone began speaking there was the abrupt sound of a body hitting the ground. Link's head snapped toward it. He had a glimpse of a shadowed figure, eyes blazing, before it blurred away and dropped another Geurdo. It barely stopped, blade flashing at another warrior. She managed to deflect the attack, but the sword knocked her blades wide. Dodging between them, her opponent punched her stomach as he moved past.

While she dropped the figure was frozen for a moment and Link gasped, his move for his sword halted. Cid. He had always been a bit scary, but now he was transfigured, his expression one of absolute concentration. In the blink of an eye he dropped the other two Geurdo and was standing in the center of the courtyard with his sword at his side.

"Sorry about that," he remarked casually, replacing his sword in its sheath. The warriors groaned and picked themselves up slowly, expressions a mixture of respect and irritation. "I haven't felt this way in years, so I'm running on a bit of a high right now."

"Did you destroy the Barrier Temple?" Link asked. There was rather little doubt in his mind about the answer.

"That's right," Cid nodded curtly. "Is Vincent back yet?"

"We haven't heard from him since he left about a week ago."

"Good."

"Good?" One of the Geurdo asked. "Aren't you worried about your comrade?"

"It's not like he's dead or anything. I'm just faster than he is."

"He's coming back soon," a voice interrupted. Everyone turned to find Din standing on top of a nearby roof. She glided to the ground and walked over to them. "His Barrier Temple was further away than yours, so he won't be back until later this evening."

"So all eight of them have been taken out?" Link asked eagerly. "Does that mean we could fight Ganon?"

"Right," Din agreed. "Though Cid, you didn't have to burn the entire temple down. Destroying the core would have been enough."

His only response was a slight grin.

One of the Geurdo left, probably to inform Ganondorf. Link couldn't help but frown slightly. The Geurdo leader had been absent almost the entire week. Occasionally there had been glimpses of him, stalking the edges of the highest parts of the fortress, but for the most part he was somewhere within Link had never found, though he had been more focused on training. Still, from what little he had seen of him, the man was getting more and more tense. Perhaps this news would do him good.

* * *

Stone erupted just beside Nabooru's head, splinters raining to the floor. She was completely frozen in place, staring at the fist embedded part way into the wall. After a moment Ganondorf pulled away, shaking the last pieces of rock from his fist and stalking across the room.

It was littered with a dozen bodies, at least half of them unconscious. With only his bare hands and a bit of magic… Ganondorf hadn't made a single noise since it had begun. His eyes were different somehow, as if focused on some point in the distance. Taking his cloak in one hand, he swung it over his shoulders.

"Wait, milord!" She barely caught him before he swept away. He glanced back at her, not quite meeting her gaze.

"Please do not call me that."

"Where are you going?" Nabooru demanded, catching up to him. As she drew closer he turned away, looking into the shadowy corridor with his eyes closed. When he finally answered, his voice was so low it was almost lost in the darkness.

* * *

Voices woke Link abruptly, breaking into his dream and then jerking him awake. There were people speaking loudly in the corridor outside. Not a fight, but something was definitely going on. He pulled himself out of bed faster than he had ever done on a school day and was out the door soon after, boots on and equipment in place.

"Slow down," Cid was commanding. Everyone else was in the hallway as well, tense and alert (with the exception of Hero, who was in a disturbingly short nightgown and rubbing his eyes sleepily). They were all generally focused on Nabooru, who was without her veil and looked like she was almost crying.

"Ganondorf left," she told them after a deep breath. "He's going to fight Ganon by himself."

"Dammit!" Cid clenched his fist for an instant before turned on his heel and gesturing over his shoulder. "Keep explaining, but do it while we move."

"Why would he go on his own?" Din asked, moving alongside Nabooru as they began half-running down the corridor. "Doesn't he stand a better chance with others?"

"The idiot wants to do things himself," Cid muttered. At this Nabooru shook her head vehemently.

"No, he isn't like that. For the past several days he has been using his magic to search the world. He says there's something terrible in Ganon's fortress, something that makes him pale in comparison. He also said something about grey approaching, that it was something none of you Links should approach. According to him, no amount of power could take the fortress now."

"Then he means to…" Vincent breathed. The others nodded grimly, leaving Link alone looking confused. Swallowing his pride along with the saliva building in his mouth, he spoke up.

"What's he going to do?"

"Sacrifice himself," Cid answered. "He probably has a plan to destroy the entire fortress with his own life energy. I hate it when people play hero."

"What about me?" Hero abruptly showed up from a side corridor, now fully dressed, and began running alongside them. He was ignored without a word. Soon they were into the courtyard and racing toward the entrance. Nabooru shouted a command and the gate was raised enough to let them pass through, though one of the guards looked at them oddly.

"What are you doing?" she yelled from the wall.

"The same thing Ganondorf is doing," Nabooru called back. "Putting an end to things."

- - - - -

There was a serious possibility that this chapter wouldn't be released on time. I update from work, you see, but this site has been completely blocked for about a week by one of our system administrators. This was mainly a prank on one of my coworkers, who abuses this site a bit during work time, but for a while I was wondering if I'd be cut off and have to find some public terminal. Fortunately, it appears everything has been set back to normal and hence you all get your chapter.

Anyway, for those of you who wanted something to happen... something is definitely going to happen.


	19. Antithesis

Chapter 18: Antithesis

The fortress loomed ahead of them, dark even against the sky. Somehow the clouds seemed to be rushing from the tip of the jagged peaks surrounding it. Link realized that if the battle lasted until morning, the sun would come up over the mountain range. He didn't want to be there when that happened.

It was obvious Ganon wasn't interested in visitors. Every part of the fortress was jagged and the entire structure gave the impression of a skull, the entrance in the gaping maw. As they ran closer, the path became lined with stakes, each topped by a skull. They all looked rather old, though, unlike the bodies that they occasionally had to dodge around. If there was any doubt Ganondorf was ahead of them, it was removed by the entrance, where two large statues lay as if smashed apart.

Link thought he was doing alright. Though he was tired, he barely even realized it. They had run quite a ways, and if he could manage it on sand in this world, he probably wouldn't have any trouble elsewhere.

Before he realized it the others stopped, forcing him to skid and bringing him to the front of the group. He immediately took a step back, wincing from Cid's glare, and inspected the area. The initial room of the fortress had a fairly low ceiling and was relatively simple. Though statues that looked remarkably like Ganondorf lined the walls, they didn't appear to be the moving kind. That was almost more unusual.

"That's far enough." The female voice seemed to float from nowhere, so it took Link several seconds to find the source. A woman was standing at the far end of the hallway, just to the side of the staircase onward. Though she was wearing the normal outfit of the Geurdo, it was made of black fabric that seemed to melt into the shadows of the fortress itself. "Master Ganon will take care of you when he is ready."

"Anyone you know?" Din asked Nabooru. The other woman nodded shortly.

"That's Aveil, head of Ganon's private army. She's not going to be easy to beat."

"We do not need this right now," Cid muttered, eyes narrowing. It was obvious he was trying to think of a way to avoid wasting time in the situation. There was an easy solution, but it might not be easy to execute. Link came to the same conclusion at the same moment.

"Go," he said tersely. Along with the word he hurled his boomerang. It slashed just past Aveil's shoulder; she neither dodged nor flinched. Immediately realizing it was coming back toward her head, she leapt away.

Before she landed, a blade was thrusting at her neck. Though apparently surprised by Link's charge, she still managed to unsheathe her scimitars and block his attack. The boomerang flashed again and she ducked beneath it, realizing too late that it was headed for Link's hand. Pushing with both weapons together he managed to throw her back.

The others were already mostly past him. Vincent looked over his shoulder with a concerned look and Link shook his head.

"Let me do something heroic for once, alright?"

Then they were gone and her blades were smashing against his, almost knocking him off his feet. With the magic bracers he was about as strong as her, but he jumped away instead of locking weapons. Her range was longer than his and if he stayed too close she would probably divert one blade and cut off a leg.

His jump barely bought him a second. It was all he could do to deflect one of the scimitars and avoid the other one, but they were already flashing at him again. Previously he had taken her off guard, but now that she was focused on killing him he was out of his league. When he leapt backward with the Roc's Feather she leapt after him, blades spinning in a dual strike.

Aveil seemed to be moving in slow motion, the scimitars descending toward him softly. Link was frozen, only able to watch as they approached. He already knew exactly what would happen: her first blade would deflect his and the second would pierce his heart. Were his last seconds going to be stretched out like this? Even his mind seemed frozen, only able to focus on the impending doom.

Suddenly there was a black cloak consuming his vision. Reality snapped back to normal and the cloak was gone. Aveil hit the opposite wall so hard she was embedded part-way into the stone. Snarling, she glared down at Altair, who stood in front of her.

"Thanks," Link managed to pant. His heart was racing and his limbs were still weak from the brush with death. He was glad that Altair had saved him again… but the man didn't even look back, instead staring up at the Geurdo with a strange expression.

"What are you doing?" he asked softly. Aveil gave him a strange look and struggled to free herself from the wall.

"What do you think, fool? Master Ganon could destroy them all with his divine power, but he chose to allow me to play a part! Don't you get it? I've been made a warrior of the great god Ganon; I cannot be defeated by mere mortals. As soon as I've killed you and the boy, I'll kill the others before they can even trouble Master Ganon."

"Why?"

"Idiot! Do I need a reason other than to defend my god?" Aveil spit in his face. The spittle dissolved in midair.

"Pity."

Altair sheathed his sword. For the briefest of instants Aveil was frozen in shock, her body covered in thin red lines, then she exploded in countless pieces. The shower of flesh and blood slid off Altair's tunic without leaving a trace, hitting the floor as he turned away. There was absolutely no expression in his eyes.

Barely on his feet, Link forced himself to breath again. He hadn't seen Altair draw his sword, much less attack. It was terrifying. Not his strength, because any one of their group could probably kill him. But there was something about the entire exchange that bothered him deep in his soul. Before he knew it, Altair was standing before him.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered shakily, getting to his feet. "Thanks to you, anyway. Man, for a moment I thought I could actually help everyone…"

"There was no need for you to waste your strength on a battle such as that," Altair answered. Though he was walking away, beginning to climb the stairs at the end of the room, his voice did not grow any softer. "Your true opportunity to help will be to fight _him_."

At the last word Link shivered involuntarily. His body was warm and sweaty from the fighting, but somehow he felt chilled at the same time. Sensing something unusual, he turned away from the stairs and looked in the opposite direction.

A boy was standing in the door of the fortress, silhouetted against the dark sky. For a long time he just stood there, head down and cap shadowing his eyes. Link was equally motionless, stricken by horror in a way he couldn't understand. Even in the strange shadows, the stranger's tunic was an unmistakable grey. When the boy looked up, his eyes were exactly the same color.

* * *

Corridors and rooms flew past as the small group raced through the fortress. Din was leading the group, as she thought she could feel what might be Ganondorf's presence on a higher floor. The entire place was strange, not what Cid had expected for Ganon's lair. Though there appeared to have been a few traps or monsters, for the most part everything was empty. A few locked doors had already been broken open.

Suddenly he shivered slightly and blinked in surprise. It hadn't been tension or something deeper – the room ahead was physically cold. Din appeared to realize this and slowed down, though she still slid across the floor for several paces. Cid followed more cautiously, stomping through the thin layer of ice and keeping his footing.

The air of the room was frosty, even more so than one would expect from the ice coating the walls. On the opposite side was a doorway that had been broken, but a thick layer of ice blocked the passage on. Vincent gave him a sideways glance and he nodded back. This wasn't part of the basic fortress design and was thus a real threat.

As if to confirm this thought, various pieces of ice began shattering. When the shards hit the ground they danced strangely, rising back into the air and forming crystalline bodies. These began approaching and Cid sighed.

"The rest of you should go on." Din glanced back at them, her eyes beginning to glow brighter. "I should be able to melt the ice and handle these."

"Are you sure you have good enough control of the elements?" Vincent asked.

"Not really, but don't worry about me. I can-"

"No, this is all mine," Cid interrupted. The others glanced at him and were startled by the grin on his face. "This is just about perfect. Makes up for the fact that my other temple was fire-themed, I suppose."

"Huh? How are you gonna fight a bunch of ice things?" Hero asked. Cid didn't answer and meanwhile the ice golems plodded closer to his back. Just as they came within range, he reached over his shoulder. Instead of grasping his sword's hilt, however, he grabbed something beside it. A thin red rod slid out…

And a massive swath of flame melted the ice nearest him. Backlit by the brief inferno, Cid twirled the rod to his side and glanced over at Hero. "Any other stupid questions?"

There wasn't a reply, so Cid figured they all agreed. He turned and raised the rod to about shoulder level, ignoring the further ice golems that were forming. A bolt of flame burst from the tip of the staff and evaporated the block of ice covering the passage onward. Frost began to grow at the hissing edge, steadily rebuilding the barrier, but it was much too slow. The others were already through, heading up the stairs to the next level.

Behind them, Cid waited patiently as the ice golems surrounded him and moved inward. At the last second he ducked their attacks, setting his legs. His rapid spin was followed by a swath of flame that left the air filled with mist that quickly froze. Even as he halted his spin, however, tendrils of ice were forming at his feet, attempting to wrap around his legs.

Before they could become more solid Cid broke free, flipping forward and drawing his blade in the same motion. Several more ice soldiers had formed near the staircase and were coming toward him, but each shattered with a well-placed blow. As Cid straightened he felt something forming behind him and turned calmly.

Icy spikes came together to form a massive body. As the ice from the floor and walls receded it gathered into a hard coating of plates. Finally a head formed, completing the icy dragon. The instant it became animated it roared, the blast of wind blowing back his hair and making a thin layer of frost form on his armor.

In response, he brought his sword and the rod together. Flame leapt from one to the other and Cid charged.

* * *

The mass of flesh saw them approaching from down the corridor and readied itself. A young man and woman were leading the group. They would probably be delicious, unlike the occasional monster it managed to eat here. As soon as they came into range it dove from its perch.

Din and Vincent were already past, reaching the door. Instead the Like-Like dove straight for Nabooru, who barely halted herself in time. Its circular orifice caught her arm, but she quickly stabbed the monster with her other scimitar. Pulling her other arm free, she backed away and tried to shake feeling back into it. Only a few seconds, but it felt numb and half-crushed.

"I'll save you!" Hero called. His hookshot appeared in an instant and the point dug deep into the Like-Like… and didn't move. Though he jerked, making the monster screech in pain, the end was firmly stuck. "Um, you guys go on ahead! I'll handle the situation here!"

He missed Din and Vincent by more than the Like-Like.

* * *

Both combatants skidded in opposite directions, eventually finding enough traction on the floor to stop their slides. Ganondorf knelt almost to the ground and readied himself in preparation for the next attack. He could only match his opponent power for power in very select situations, and he was getting fewer chances as the fight went on.

Across the room, the hulking mass shifted, one foot sending small tremors across the ground as it moved. Blue flesh spilled out over the dark armor, an obscene mockery of human obesity. The multiple-ton creature vaguely resembled a pig in facial features, but the tiny red eyes burned with malicious intelligence. Picking up his trident, Ganon spun it several times before returning it to his side.

Just as the motion began Ganondorf flashed forward, cloak trailing behind him as he ran. He had crossed half the distance before the monstrous arm reacted, hurling the enormous trident. It spun end over end, whirling so quickly that it arced toward him through the air.

Instead of dodging, Ganondorf merely watched it as it flew at his side. At the last second he felt was safe, he jumped, narrowly avoiding the flashing blade at the end. A moment later the other end came around and met his raised foot. The impact rocketed him across the room, thoroughly disorienting him. Though it hadn't worked as well as he'd hoped, he did manage to turn his uncontrolled flight into an elbow jab.

The blow sunk into the fat, doing little real damage but making the blue giant reel slightly. Immediately Ganondorf followed with a fist, smashing apart a layer of armor. Ganon roared in pain as shards of it were embedded in its flesh and then smashed an arm down.

His hair whipped backward as the blow rushed just past his face and buried itself in the stone floor. As soon as he was able he reversed his momentum and charged up the arm, jumping off it to reach the level of his opponent's head. Reddish energy collected around his fist in the moment he was suspended in midair, then Ganondorf smashed the pig-like face. The sound of the blow tore through the atmosphere and made Ganon stumble and nearly fall.

A whistling sound was his only warning. The trident slammed back into Ganon's hand and he thrust with it immediately, aiming to pierce the chest of the human opposing him. In midair, it should be completely impossible for him to dodge and the end, longer than a human sword, would impale his guts. All went as planned… except that the only thing pinned to the wall was a grey cloak.

Ganon got a brief glimpse of Ganondorf in midair, now in only his armor, before a powerful blow met his face. The human found footing on the massive shoulders and began striking down, intending to pummel his skull. As the gargantuan form fell back in pain it brought the trident up to sweep away the annoyance.

"No!" Ganondorf cried, throwing his hands to either side of him. Raw power exploded around him, knocking away the trident and shredding the flesh of the attacking arm. Magic still overflowing around him, Ganondorf lifted both hands high to end it, something silver gleaming between them.

Pudgy fingers hit his chest, driving him into the wall and cracking several ribs instantly. Even as he cried out in pain he brought his fists down on the arm, but though the magic tore away much of the fat the bones did not lose strength. Even as the hand continued to crush him into the wall the arm was rebuilding itself, glowing a soft blue.

"Huu, is this all you have?" Ganon rumbled, tiny eyes peering down at him. "I had forgotten just how weak I was as a human. Too bad. If you had stayed in your own world, you might have become a god."

"N-never," Ganondorf gasped. Rolls of fat shifted, making the eyes glare at him from within shadowed folds. He knew that the arm would crush him the next second, ending the battle and his life. Then it was time, he was out of other options…

Vincent severed the arm, drawing his sword in a gleaming motion. As the limb fell he kicked off it in midair and moved toward the monster, hacking at its chest. Completely taken off guard by the ferocity of the attack, Ganon stumbled backward, roars of pain shaking the room and making the dust swirl.

As he dropped to the ground Ganondorf stared at his rescuer through fading vision. No… they should have stayed. Even if the Links could defeat Ganon, there was a far more terrible monster waiting. Worst of all, _it_ was there, waiting to consume them. This should have been his battle, the end of his war.

Before he could hit the floor slender arms gently caught him. A charge ran through his body and he felt the air around him bend; seconds later his vision was partially restored and the pain in his chest began to lessen. Weakly turning his head, he discovered that Din had caught him and was now leaning him against the wall.

"You… need to escape," he gasped. "Your husband… could perish if…"

"Worry more about yourself," she told him softly. "Did you think we'd just let you die here? With all of us, we should be able to defeat Ganon."

"No, that's not what-" A shadow covered them, making Ganondorf cut off and stare up at the monstrosity looming behind Din. Vincent was off to the side, uninjured but wringing one arm as if it was numb. There would be no way he could arrive in time, not even with his speed.

But as Ganon raised one hand to crush them both, a fierce wind slashed across the room. Din's hair and clothes were blown sharply in one direction. Dozens of tiny stones zipped through the air, piercing the blue arm before it could complete its strike. While it was pulled back in pain, Vincent severed it entirely for the second time. He then jumped into the wind and drove his free hand, glowing softly, into Ganon's stomach. Somehow the enormous creature was flung backward.

As it rose the dark eyes burned with hatred. The massive arm beside him was scrabbling against the stones, trying to pull itself toward the body. Vincent considered hacking it to pieces, but he doubted that would do any good. Before they had arrived, Ganondorf had been trying to hit the head, so maybe that was the only way to stop it.

Behind and to his right, the trident broke out of the rubble where it had fallen and began levitating across the room. Vincent took off instantly, running alongside it. His opponent's eyes flared in anger, but Ganon reacted too slowly. One sword strike severed the fingers from their hand, the second cut through the muscles of the arm, and the third dug deep into Ganon's neck.

Even as the monster began to recoil in pain, Vincent allowed the sword to be pulled from his hands and instead grabbed the trident, which was falling to the floor. His muscles strained for several seconds as he struggled to change the enormous weapon's inertia, then it swung in the opposite direction, building speed until it bit deep into the monster's heart. Coughing up dark blood, Ganon shook violently and then slumped.

Abruptly the eyes flared open and one hand grasped the end of the trident. Before Vincent could move the shaft was smashed into his side, driving him into one wall. He dropped to the ground and barely managed to roll out of the way when the end was swung down at his skull. By the time he flipped to his feet Ganon was rising, sword and trident stuck in his flesh uselessly.

"Fool! Do you think that a hero can kill a god?"

He wouldn't have answered in any case, but he didn't get a chance. Something silver streaked through the air past his head. All Ganon could do was jerk one hand in front of his face, the object embedding itself in his palm. The beast roared louder than ever before as the flesh of his hand began to burn around the bright silver arrow embedded within it.

"You're not just fighting a hero." Ganondorf moved to stand beside Vincent, cracking his knuckles one finger at a time. Din stood not far behind him, hair and clothing rippling around her slightly.

"What was that weapon?" Vincent asked lowly.

"Silver arrows. The Link of this world went to a great deal of effort to get them, so I figured they would work against Ganon. All but three of them are broken, unfortunately."

"That seems to be the key to destroying him. Together we can probably get at least one lodged in his skull."

"I told you not to follow me." Ganondorf frowned at the other man, who only gave him a slight smile in return. After a pause he sighed and shook his head. "Fine, then. Let's destroy Ganon as quickly as possible and get out of here before things can go wrong."

Across the chamber, Ganon finally flung the silver arrow from his hand and crushed it beneath one foot. His eyes were like fire and dark smoke visibly burst from his nostrils. With a cry of rage he ripped the trident from his chest and the battle was renewed.

* * *

The grey tunic turned into a blur as the figure charged forward. It was all Link could do to parry the blow that swung at his head. Surprisingly, once the attack rang off his sword another did not immediately come. His opponent's face twisted in rage for a brief instant and then he stabbed forward, blow barely passing Link's face.

Fast, but not too fast. Link struck back, forcing his opponent to retreat for a few steps. He wasn't out of his league here, plus his opponent seemed to be getting frustrated. Eventually the man in grey jumped back to a safe distance and stood there, glaring.

"So you're not one of them, huh," he muttered. At one moment his voice was somehow familiar and immensely disturbing. "Guess you can't be, or you'd already be gone."

"You'll have to be better than that to kill me," Link shot back. He wished he felt as confident as he sounded, but despite his comparable skills he felt an intense dread of the person standing before him.

"Oh, I can kill you," the other answered with a laugh. "That's simple. But I mean that you would be _gone_. Vaporized, unwritten, erased."

"Who are you?"

"No one, actually. I'm just the _lack_ of someone, the polar opposite of these idiots gallivanting around in green caps and tights. But since you're not one of them I guess I might as well let you know the name of your killer. Not that I actually have a name, but… my mothers called me Knil."

The name echoed in his mind as the other warrior attacked, grey sword flying at him from several angles. Numbly he dodged backward, deflecting the strikes and trying to understand what was eating at the back of his mind. To his eyes it was only a warrior not much older than him, but all his soul could see was an expanse of grey, consuming everything around it.

- - - - -

This chapter brings a number of my MacGuffins to fruition, hopefully satisfactorily. It also introduces one of the last of the major players and kicks off the finale of this arc.


	20. A World Closes

Chapter 19: One World Closes

After his introduction Knil didn't stop, attacking repeatedly without the slightest pause. Even though he managed to give his opponent several shallow cuts, Link found he was the one wearing out. All he could do to give himself time to breath was leap to the opposite side of the room with the Roc's Feather. Whenever he did so, Knil merely turned and methodically moved to assault him once again.

This couldn't go on. Link jumped across the room again and noted with alarm that Knil was already turning to meet him when he landed. Not fast enough, though. Catching himself on the opposite wall, Link hurled his boomerang with all the strength he could manage before landing and charging after it.

Knil's eyes widened briefly and the weapon deflected off his sword arm. While he winced in pain Link crossed the distance and slashed forward. To his surprise, Knil blocked the attack with his forearm. The sword slashed to the bone but stopped. Link froze, eyes fixed on the grey blood falling from the wound. In his peripheral vision he could see Knil raising his sword for a lethal strike and he couldn't make his body respond.

Fortunately, the second part of his plan happened at that moment and the boomerang came back, hitting Knil in the arm again. Shaking himself back into action, Link gave a loud cry and stabbed for all he was worth. Grey blurred in his vision for a moment and then pain shot up his arms. His sword was embedded in the wall and Knil was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, crap…" A grey tunic flashed from the side, blade sweeping down. Link threw himself back, but he had never been the target. The grey sword struck the one in the wall and shattered it into several pieces. Knil straightened and then turned toward him, grinning.

Clutching the Roc's Feather tightly, Link kicked off the ground and propelled himself backward. As his back hit the wall a dull ache filled his body… and a sharp pain stabbed from his chest. His eyes widened as he looked down and saw that there was a bloody gash across his chest. If he had jumped back a second later…

But his opponent was already approaching and he had no time. He fumbled in his pocket for one of the vials, lifting it to his lips – it shattered in his hands. Still walking forward, Knil lowered his strangely bloodless sword, grinning even broader.

"It's too late," he almost whispered. "Just stay there and let me end it."

Three paces now, two… in a moment he would be within range and attacking. Somehow the fact that the last thing he would see would be those grey eyes terrified Link more than the thought of death itself. But the blood loss was making him dizzy and he was without a weapon and Knil was already there.

A surge of flames shot through the air, forcing him to take a step back. Moments later Link saw a brown tunic leap from the top of the stairs, a blade flashing and nearly decapitating Knil. Cid landed in between the other two fighters, teeth grinding as he watched the opponent in a grey tunic.

"Oh, a Link." The grey warrior grinned. "Perfect."

"Shut up." Cid took a step forward and his blade lashed out again. Knil barely blocked it and the blow drove his sword back – moments later a grey swath flew from the point of impact. From his position at the wall, Link saw an arc of grey speeding through the air toward him. Though Cid had managed to dodge to the side, he was too weak to move.

But when it hit him nothing happened. The grey energy was gone and he hadn't even felt any magic. Nothing at all had changed. Still, the shock jarred his consciousness. Something was wrong; he couldn't just sit here. As the others faced off he reached into his pouch, searching for one of the blue vials.

"Who are you?" Cid demanded. There was sweat on the side of his forehead.

"The name is Knil. The Goddesses made me to destroy you, so I really don't have time to chat." With that he attacked again, cutting toward Cid's head. This time the other man dodged, jerking his head away from the blow. In the same motion his sword slashed through Knil's shoulder.

Grey blood appeared in the wound, but it didn't fall. Instead it seemed as though his flesh was burning, becoming grey embers that lit up against the dark stone of the fortress. The force from the blow sent them scattering throughout the room. Several of them hit Cid's shoulder before he could dodge away. When he landed at a safe distance he immediately winced in pain, falling to one knee.

"You see now?" Knil laughed. "None of you can defeat me. You are creatures of destiny, and when destiny is destroyed you become nothing! Once you-"

He cut off abruptly, eyes widening. Instead of responding verbally, Cid reached his free hand to his shoulder and clamped it down on the grey embers. Once he smothered them he took his partially burned hand back down to the hilt of his sword and rose to his feet.

"Wh-what? You shouldn't be able to do that! You shouldn't even have that hand any more! But this doesn't change anything! I'll-"

This time it was a fist to the side of his face that ended his sentence. Knil fell, rolling several times across the floor before struggling to get to his feet. Looming over him was Link, wiping blood and some potion from his mouth. There was intense pressure on the wound in his chest and his veins were burning with magical energy. It felt good.

* * *

Nabooru took the stairs several at a time, racing toward the sounds of battle. She reached the top and slid across the floor as she changed direction. The doorway to the final room of Ganon's fortress was just down the hallway; they had to be there. When she arrived she saw the door had already been broken, lying in bent pieces in the hall.

Her scimitars were in her hands, but they remained there uselessly as she stood in the doorway. Ganon was raging, his every blow ripping the air and sending pieces of rubble flying. She had never seen him this deadly, never imagined he could be so powerful. Was this what it meant to be a god?

And yet they were fighting him. Ganondorf was striking blows that made even the behemoth stumble, Vincent was practically dancing around him while slashing, and Din continued to strike with the elements from a distance. If she moved even a step into the room, she was sure the chaos of the battle would snuff out her life in an instant.

Clasping her hands tightly, Din finally released the energy she had been building as soon as Ganondorf and Vincent jumped away. A wind hit Ganon, forcing him to raise his hands in defense and actually driving him back across the floor.

Immediately Ganondorf jumped, a silver shaft appearing in his hands and stabbing down at the monster's head. Just before his blow hit one giant arm flailed, smashing into his chest and sending him crashing to the opposite side of the room. Body shining a brighter blue, Ganon gave a roar and cast the wind aside. His trident lifted back to his hand and he began stomping forward, bearing down upon Vincent.

The trident smashed down, but Vincent stepped just to the side of the attack. In the same motion he moved forward, coming alongside Ganon's arm. His free hand pulled something silver from the sheath at his side and he stabbed it into the massive arm. As Ganon roared in pain he leapt back, but in midair one giant hand grabbed him.

"Huu, caught you!" Ganon rumbled. "Let's see how you fight without that head!"

Tusk-like teeth moved forward, but Vincent didn't seem worried. Just before the gaping maw attempted to bite him he freed one hand and made a flicking motion as he opened his fist. Dozens of small silver pieces, shards of various arrows, flew through the air and hit Ganon in the eyes and mouth. Immediately the monstrous form roared in pain and clutched at its face, trying to claw away the burning shards.

Ganondorf was in the air behind him, silver arrow in hand. Before he could strike, however, his target turned, red eyes flashing in hate. An arm rose to catch him as well… and froze. While Ganon stared at his arm in horror frost continued to form on its surface. Across the room, Din was driven to her knees but maintained the flow of winter.

That was all it took. Ganondorf punched the arm with his free hand, shattering it into pieces, then landed on one of the shoulders. In horror Ganon tried to escape the silver weapon stabbing down, but it bit deep into his neck. Even as he fell from the shifting, Ganondorf stomped on the end, driving it even deeper.

For a moment he grinned in triumph, then Ganon's other hand swung down, smashing him into the floor. He gagged, but shrugged off the pain and reached into his pocket for the last silver arrow. If he could get it into a leg Ganon would be almost entirely crippled. One massive foot stomped on his arm, breaking the bones before he could begin to move.

"Is that your last one?" Ganon rumbled, beady eyes glaring down at him. "Huu, little insects without their pincers." The foot rose to crush the arrow in his hand.

Though his arm screamed against the movement, Ganondorf forced the crushed muscles to move his hand. It made a flicking motion before dropping, sending the arrow flipping into the air. Slowly it spun end over end, Ganon's eyes following it in surprise as it rose above his head. He saw what was being done, but the world was frozen in time.

Vincent snagged the arrow and came down heavily on Ganon's head, digging the tip deep into his skull. His sword flew in his hands, slashing down and striking the shaft precisely on the end, propelling it further. As light began to pour from Ganon's eyes and mouth, open in a silent scream, Vincent jumped away and watched silently. Each of the arrows still in Ganon's body was glowing brighter now, silver sparks that were consuming his flesh. The unnatural blue light began to fade and suddenly the entire body was ash, collapsing to the floor in a dark pile.

There was a heavy pause, everyone staring at the remains. Finally the silence was broken by the sound of Vincent returning his sword to its sheath. He turned back to the others and smiled. Ganondorf gave a grim smile back and pulled himself to his feet, grunting in pain before Din hurried to prevent him from moving.

In the doorway, Nabooru was still frozen. The tension in the room drained away, leaving her limbs feeling weak and heavy. She managed to replace her scimitars in her sash and moved in to the others. Vincent turned to give her a slight smile.

"Where's Hero? It looks like we're finished here."

"After we killed the Like-Like he realized something was wrong downstairs, so we split up," she explained. "We should probably go back down; I'm not sure what the problem was."

"There may be more enemies in the fortress," Vincent considered. "It would be good to scout the area before locating the others and-"

"No!" Ganondorf pulled himself to his feet again, speaking over Din's protests that he wasn't healed. His voice rasped in his throat and he still held one arm gingerly, but his eyes were intense and slightly fearful. "We need to get out as fast as possible! This may be a victory but your help will have accomplished nothing if we all die here!"

"Just what is this threat?" Vincent asked, glancing back at him. Seeing Ganondorf's expression, he moved toward the door. "Talk as we move, if there's really so little time."

* * *

A wall of fire lit up across the room, preventing Knil from advancing any further. Link watched Cid curiously, noting the red staff he held in his hands. He seemed to know how to use it well, so it was probably something he had acquired in his own world. Still, given what had happened he had a bad feeling about the battle.

On the opposite side of the flames Knil paced, glaring at them through the smoke. As before, the injuries in his body didn't seem to hinder him. After some time he stopped walking and simply stood, his eyes closed and his head inclined toward the flame.

"So who is this guy?" Cid asked grimly. Link exchanged his glance with a nervous one.

"I don't know; he just showed up in the entrance. He's been saying things like he's created to kill all of us."

"Great. I've got a bad feeling I know where he came from, too. Coming into contact with him is too risky. It might be possible to kill him from a distance, but to be honest I'm running low on magic power."

"Yeah, uh," Link swallowed and looked away. "He wasn't doing that kind of thing before you came. I was fighting him directly."

"I _thought_ one of those attacks hit you," Cid mused. "You seem to be immune, for whatever reason. Where's your sword?"

"He kind of broke it."

"Damn."

"I'm sorry…"

"Not what I meant." Cid jabbed a finger toward the blazing wall. On the opposite side, Knil had opened his eyes, which were a dull grey. He began walking forward, the flames leaping around him but apparently not touching him. Several paces later he was on their side, sword back in his hands and a grin on his face.

"That's as far as you get!" a voice interrupted, making both Cid and Link jolt. Hero sauntered down the stairs, spinning his sword in one hand idly. "You might have been winning so far, but can you play with the big boys?"

"Stop!" The command was too late, as Hero had already jumped forward to attack. His slash missed and Knil calmly struck back. For a moment he was surprised as Hero ducked underneath the attack and toward him, then there was a cold metal point sticking in his chest.

"See ya, random grey guy!" Hero crowed, pressing the trigger. The tip of the hookshot erupted from Knil's back and grey exploded through the room. Embers fell to rest on Hero, who was flung backward with a scream of pain. Panicking at the sparks burned through his skin, he rolled wildly on the floor, only driving them in further.

"More of you just keep showing up." Knil smirked and pulled the hookshot out of his chest, glancing at it curiously before tossing it aside. "But no matter how many of you there are, it will only take one of me."

"What now?" Link asked tersely. Cid began to hand him his own sword, but abruptly paused.

"Never mind. Looks like procrastination wins the day."

"Huh?" Even as he said it, Link began to sense them. He could recognize Vincent's presence, moving toward their location at a surprising rate. There were some other people who weren't as distinctive, but he imagined they were Din and the others. With them they'd definitely have the upper hand.

Growling, Knil began to move forward only to be knocked back by a bolt of flame. Cid dropped to one knee, gasping for breath, but the delay was enough. The rest of the group moved down the stairs, Vincent beginning to draw his sword. Before he could attack, though, Cid raised a hand sharply.

"Stay back," he ordered. "Din, Ganondorf, get in front of us." They did so, watching Knil suspiciously but glancing back at Cid to figure out what was going on. "This guy is some kind of anti-Link the Goddesses sent, so we can't fight him. He's calling himself Knil, by the way."

"Knil?" Vincent raised an eyebrow and Cid gave a tight smile.

"Yeah, I'm sure those bitches are congratulating themselves on their cleverness. But let's hang back and let the others take him out."

"This is ridiculous," Knil growled, though his eyes held a touch of worry for the first time. "All of you are going to die sooner or later-"

"But not now." Another voice ended his sentence. Behind them, Altair descended the steps calmly. As he stepped alongside the rest of the group, Link felt all the tension that had been building since seeing Knil begin to leak away. If everyone was back downstairs, the battle was surely over. He hadn't realized just how uneasy he had been until the feeling finally lifted. "If you think you can win, you're welcome to try."

For a long moment Knil stared at him, completely motionless. Abruptly he gave a frustrated cry and raised his hand. His eyes flared grey and then gold mist rose from the floor, surrounding him and evaporating in an instant, leaving their group alone. It was silent except for Hero, who was groaning in pain, but the embers on his body seemed to have been quenched.

"Was this the big problem you didn't want us to meet?" Cid asked, turning toward Ganondorf. The Geurdo sighed and gestured for all of them to exit.

"I had a premonition, but that was not the only threat. There is something immensely powerful that will be here soon. Though I am awed by your collective combat skills, this opponent is beyond us in such a drained state. For the moment we should retreat."

"That works for me. On the way back, though, I have some questions to ask you. And you _will_ answer, after all this."

"I suppose that is true." As he said it, though, he smiled just slightly. Din and Vincent helped Hero to his feet and managed to make him walk, though not silently. Link was at the back of the group and turned for a moment at the exit. His sword still lay on the floor, broken and useless. There was no point taking it up again.

Instead he followed the group, out into the darkness of the morning. Behind them the sun still burned red and the sky broiled just as it had before. After the battle, trudging over the draining earth was almost more than he could bear. As the sun rose everything grew darker and he focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

* * *

For a random spot in the middle of the desert, things were surprisingly busy. Not only were Geurdo moving around in an impromptu camp, but others were gathered as well. Several large fires had been lit to warm the area, though the effect was limited. Link shivered and moved closer to the nearest one. It was hot against his skin but couldn't completely eliminate the cold buried deep in his body.

At the center of the activity stood the door, as inexplicable as all the others. This one looked blackened as if by fire. From the other side, Link would never have dared to enter, but at the moment he was glad to see it. Vincent had already gone scouting in the Sacred Realm and reported that the battle was over and the area was secure.

On this side, things were happier than they had probably been in a long time. During training and everything else Link had always thought the Geurdo looked unhappy, haunted by something. Now they were radiant, going about their activities as if this world wasn't a wrecked shell. None of this managed to touch him.

"What's wrong?" He looked up dully, eyes focusing across the bonfire. Standing on the opposite side Altair watched him. The firelight did not flicker in his eyes, which fixed on him with their intense blue.

"Can't you guess?" he asked bitterly. "You seem to know everything."

"Knil."

"Exactly." Link clenched his fists almost involuntarily and then sighed, loosening them by force of will. "I'm glad that I could hold him off and everything, but do you know what that means? I'm not a hero. I'm not a Link like the others. All of them were injured by it, but I was beneath its notice, a worthless tagalong. And don't give me any crap about how this gives me a special role to play! There's no silver lining here."

"You're wrong."

"Huh?"

Altair had been silent during the rant, but now he spoke, clearly and authoritatively. "The reason that Knil did not harm you was not because you aren't a Link, but because you have not yet become a hero. His essence destroys the destiny infused in heroes, whereas you have yet to gather your own destiny."

"What makes you so sure?" That made sense, but also sounded suspiciously convenient. He didn't think Altair would make stuff up to comfort him, but he was naturally cynical at the moment.

"These matters are of interest to me, you might say. Now stop whining and go back to training. The two of you _will_ fight again and next time you'll have to carry your own weight." Link nodded thoughtfully, staring into the fire. When he looked up Altair was gone, though he was hardly surprised. Shaking off his funk, he looked around the camp and realized the others were mostly gathering by the door.

He trotted over to join them at about the same time as Nabooru did the same. She gave the customary Geurdo bow to Ganondorf. "How can we help you while you are gone, milord?"

"Please, what have I said about formality?" Ganondorf looked uncomfortable and Nabooru only smiled slightly.

"Milord, Ganon is dead thanks you, milord. So I think some respect is in order, milord."

"Oh, fine, we'll argue about this later." He ran a hand through his red hair, obscuring his face and a slight smile. "Right now we don't know how soon the next battle will take place, so speed is the highest priority. If the Geurdo are to help Cid's army, they will need to arrive within the next several days. Split up the group and go to every fortress in the surrounding area. We'll meet you in the Sacred Realm and make decisions from there."

"Of course. We will leave at once." She bowed again and was off, gathering other Geurdo as she went. Ganondorf turned back to the others and found their entire group gathered by the door. A flicker of pain crossed his eyes, and he spread his hands to either side of him.

"I realize this may be difficult for you, but will you accept me when-"

"Yes," Vincent interrupted softly. "Stop worrying about it and come with us."

They quickly made their way through, leaving the cold sands for the usual sight of the temple. When Link closed the door behind them, he was very glad to have done so.

* * *

Ganon's fortress had become a hollow shell, empty of monsters and all forms of life. Even in death the dark god cast fear around the area, making the desert creatures move far around it. Though it still menaced the surrounding area, the heart of the threat was gone. It was only a tomb, a monument to what had once been.

Without apparent cause a massive portion of the top floor broke. Stones that could have crushed several men tumbled down the side, destroying the impression of the skull. Smaller rocks were dislodged and several small avalanches occurred in the surrounding area. The path that had once led up the palace was blocked by rubble. Then all was silent once again, the shell looming ineffectually against the world around it.

Inside the highest room, a massive shadow dominated all the others. The head brushed the ceiling, horns scraping lines through the stone. A pair of eyes burned down, searching through the rubble. Eventually it stopped at the pile of thick black ashes.

A claw reached down and picked them up, taking with it the surrounding rubble and much of the floor. Then the room was empty and the fortress was a shell once more.

- - - - -

This time, the action won't abate for a while - the hint at the last scene won't be a long-standing MacGuffin, this time.

I apologize for uploading this chapter late. Work on Friday was hectic and my evening was otherwise busy, but I'm sure one day's delay won't bother any of you.


	21. Infiganon

Chapter 20: Infiganon

"Hey! You're back!"

They hadn't gotten far into the temple before Linkina appeared from one of the corridors, waving cheerfully. Link was surprised how glad he was to see her, given that none of them really knew each other all that well. Then again, after the time they had spent in the previous world, he was overjoyed just to breathe normal air again. All of the others seemed to have relaxed somewhat now that they were back in the Sacred Realm.

"Whoa, just a sec," Linkina froze as she drew nearer. "Is that a Ganondorf? I'm going to assume he's okay since he's with you, but…"

"Yeah, he's with us," Cid nodded. Ganondorf put one hand to his chest and gave a deep bow.

"I apologize for my appearance. My world appears to be the only one in which I am not a villain."

"That's fine." Linkina grinned and stepped closer to glance up at him. "My world seems to be the only one where I'm not a guy, so we have something in common. And frankly at this point I'm not going to refuse any allies. If you're as tough as the Ganondorf I fought you'll probably be helpful."

"Is Ganondorf a girl in your world too?" Hero asked. "Cause if the two of you fought in rain or mud that would be totally ho-"

"What's the current situation?" Vincent asked. Linkina immediately turned to him and didn't look at Hero again for the rest of the conversation.

"Isn't that my line? After the battle you guys vanished for so long, I actually went to see if you had died."

"It's complicated," Cid answered. "But we're back now. I, at least, want to hear a full report on the battle unless there's a situation that needs our attention immediately."

"Sure. After I got back to the temple I found out – oh, hey, you're Vincent's wife, right?" She glanced over at Din. "I'm sorry I didn't get to greet you earlier, but it was in the middle of a battle and all that. I have a one-track mind."

"It isn't a problem," Din answered, smiling slightly. "I understand how things are. But since you've stopped talking, perhaps this is a good time to make a suggestion. We might want to split into different groups at this point. Cid may need to talk strategy, but some of us have other things we need to do. Also, I'm going to need some time to realign myself with this world's elements."

"Head outside and to the west," Linkina suggested. "There's a grove of trees still standing that's pretty quiet. Most of the Links are either somewhere in the temple or in a camp to the southeast, if the rest of you want to talk to them."

"Now seems like a good time for a nap," Hero yawned, promptly wandering away. The others ignored him and glanced at one another.

"It is probably best that I find an isolated area," Ganondorf spoke up. "Most other Links may not take kindly to my presence."

"Cid and I will talk strategy with you," Vincent told Linkina. "What about you, Link?"

Everyone glanced at him. "Um," he eloquently began. "If there's going to be another battle, I probably need to get a sword again, so I was thinking of looking for one."

"I can help you there," a new voice entered the conversation. From another of the side corridors Vio strolled into the room, giving the group a friendly smile. There were greetings exchanged and Din took this time to excuse herself. When individual conversations finally subsided, Cid moved to address Vio.

"So are you talking with us or helping the kid?"

"Ideally I'd like to say 'both,' but sadly my other three forms are scouting right now," Vio sighed. "Linkina can fill you in on the situation well enough, though, so I'll help him. I'm somewhat in charge of that kind of thing anyway." He turned back to Link and gestured toward the open passage outside. "Let's get going."

"So you managed to fight the obsidian guys?" Link asked once they were in the corridor. Vio shrugged.

"Actually, I just held them off a while and then ran away. They never showed up again, so I think it worked pretty well. I'm curious about what happened to you guys too, but apparently that's quite a story and I won't make you repeat it. Things have been calmer around here, though there have still been occasional monster attacks.

"But back on topic: what kind of sword do you need? I guess it should be a fairly short one, given your height. In addition to ones used by monsters during the battle a number of Links have died, so you have a decent variety. There were a few Links about your age here, but not many. Some of the adults have pretty short swords, though, so you might be able to find something."

"Actually, I think it might be better if I didn't use a Link's sword."

Vio glanced over at him with a strange expression, but Link didn't elaborate. They were nearly outside the temple now, moving through the puzzle room. From the large entrance the light was soft and normal. Being outside and actually feeling warm was going to be incredible. Unfortunately, he couldn't get Knil out of his mind.

"I just have a feeling a normal sword might work better," he finished awkwardly. For a moment Vio seemed about to ask a question, but when he spoke he did not.

"Very well. Does it have to be a normal sword, as in steel and no magic? Or are you just interested in it not being the legendary type of thing Links tend to wield?"

"Yeah. The second one."

"I think I have the right weapon for you, then. Oh, and turn this way."

As he expected, the breeze outside the temple was fresh and the overall temperature was warm. His eyes relaxed for the first time in a week, staring blankly into the blue expanse of the sky. There were a number of Links sitting at various places outside that waved to Vio, but none of them approached. They actually veered away from the group, around the edge of the temple.

Neither of them spoke as they moved past a short row of graves. There was a sword in each, stuck part-way into the top of the mounds of earth. Link swallowed, forcing back the moisture that came to his eyes against his will. Each blade was glittering and looked sharp; part of him wanted to select one of them. But not only would have that been disrespectful, he had a feeling it might not help. Against that grey sword, he might have been better off with a rusted and simple weapon.

"Will this do?" Link nearly leapt backward upon seeing a sword almost in his face. He quickly calmed himself and hoped Vio hadn't noticed. The other man was holding something out to him, an unusual white blade. It almost didn't look like steel, but the edge appeared very sharp, if a bit chipped at places. All of it was white, though the handle looked more like bones and was sculpted in a shape he couldn't quite place but bothered him.

"How'd you get this thing?" he asked, taking it and experimenting with a few slashes. It swung easily enough and was lighter than it looked, despite being larger than his last sword.

"We took it from some kind of Stalfos that attacked a while back," Vio answered. "It was an odd blue color and really didn't want to die. Somehow it actually injured a few guys before Linkina and I showed up. I hadn't thought about it since we put it with the other swords, but if you want a non-hero-like weapon this is your best bet."

"I guess it will do," Link agreed. He didn't think it would work, but he tried to put it back in his sheath. Amazingly, it fit, though it was a bit loose and the hilt stuck out further than it should. It made him slightly uneasy to carry a weapon used by a monster, but by the time they reached the camp he'd completely forgotten about it.

* * *

"_One_ Link took out that many?"

"That's what they said." Linkina shrugged. "He came out of the temple and destroyed all of them before turning to dust or something. I don't know either, but I'm glad it happened."

Cid shook his head and sighed. Glancing at Vincent and Linkina for a few seconds, he folded his arms and leaned back against the dais. "I'll chalk that one up to Altair or another random person. But the center of the battle was resolved without too many casualties?"

"Again, as far as I know."

"What about Shiro?" Vincent asked. "He told us that he would take care of that situation but I haven't seen him yet."

"Ah, he's still around, I think. He _did_ go to the thick of things, if I recall, but I haven't heard anything else about what happened there. Most of the Links that were in the biggest part of the battle decided to go back to their worlds, so I don't have very much information on what happened there."

"But there were plenty of corpses, I'm guessing?" Cid gave a low chuckle. "This isn't the time to be asking questions. Right now we're too vulnerable."

"What do you mean?" Linkina cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

"We may have a fair amount of power, but our enemies hold all the cards," Vincent explained. "They have Knil and the other strong fighters we mentioned, plus they can apparently move between worlds at will. We still don't know exactly what they're trying to accomplish and can only hope everything we've done has been impeding them."

"Not to mention the army," Cid added. "A few monsters may not be much to fighters like us, but most of these guys probably aren't trained against those kinds of odds. They could probably overwhelm us, especially since our numbers keep dropping, but they seem to be waiting for something."

"When you put it that way the situation does sound pretty bad," Linkina sighed. "But at least we have one thing. Vio found it in the basement of this temple." She slipped a hand from her pouch and held up the dark Shard. "It fits into the top of the impression on the dais, so it could be important, but we have no idea what it might do."

"History suggests we will have to collect objects at some point." Vincent glanced over at Cid. "Can it hurt to experiment?"

"Probably." He removed both Shards from his tunic and placed them on the dais. Vio's piece fit in one corner nicely, but the other two made an odd jagged shape that could fit anywhere. The three of them looked down for a while until Linkina threw up her hands.

"This is pointless. They might go together like a puzzle, but we'd need more of them. Plus they're not the same size, so there could be two pieces left or twenty."

Cid shifted his hand over the dais, palming one of the Shards. "It can't hurt to collect them, especially since the guys trying to kill us seem to want them too, but _do not_ put them together until we know exactly what they do. For the moment, let's split them up by each taking one. We should also talk to the other Links that we can trust. Logically some of them should have found Shards; we can't be the only ones doing anything."

The others nodded and took a piece as well. Linkina had an uneasy expression, however, and when she spoke it was relatively slowly. "I'm not so sure. There are definitely differences. All the Links I've talked to have been strong and fast, of course, but they're not all the same. To be honest, I don't think I could take either of you in a fight."

"I know what you mean," Vincent agreed, nodding thoughtfully. "There are definitely varying degrees of… Linkness, for lack of a better word. If I were you I wouldn't worry; strength isn't everything."

"Thanks, I guess." The corners of Linkina's mouth twitched. "I think we've probably seen all the Links, as there haven't been any new guys for a while. But let me tell you, some weird ones have come out of the woodwork."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, there's this one guy… I don't know, something is seriously wrong with him. When he first got here he kept jabbing his sword at people when he wanted to talk to them, which very nearly got him killed. If you see someone that looks pretty weird, stay away.

"Then we had this other guy who talks about cannibalistic pink balls and something called a 'plumber' that is apparently trying to kill him. He seems like a nice guy, but his world has made him a few pieces short of the Triforce, if you know what I mean. It sounds like a hellish place, nothing but fighting."

"Lovely," Cid growled. "I guess we should meet this fine group of individuals?"

"Yes, that might-" Linkina cut off abruptly as Vio skidded into the room, eyes wide and gasping for breath. Din floated after him, eyes narrow and glowing brightly.

"We have a problem," he told them grimly. "One of my forms just died, almost instantly. Don't ask how; I don't know either. One second everything was fine, then something hit the ground so hard it threw me into the air. I hadn't even landed when something hit me from behind and killed me immediately."

"Better and better." Cid drew his sword and began walking for the hallway outside. "I guess we should just be prepared for everything?"

"I'll tell you if I can find out more." Vio collapsed next to the dais and continued catching his breath. "Go on ahead; I'm going to leave this shell and try to regenerate all four outside ahead of you. I've got a bad feeling we're going to need whatever we can get."

* * *

Walking among circles of green-clad warriors was a strange experience. As Link moved through the camp a few people looked at him, but no more than brief glances. A wry smile appeared briefly on his lips. He looked like the rest of them, now. What would his friends think back home, seeing him in something like this? Of course, he could probably beat all of them in a fight, given the current shape he was in.

So far he hadn't found a place he wanted to sit. He was hoping to find someone he knew, but for the most part the groups looked surprisingly hostile. For a moment he thought he saw Shiro, but the man seemed to vanish into thin air. Well, he hadn't known him that well anyway.

Finally at the end of camp he saw two men sitting alone, slightly apart from the others. It was probably as good of a place to sit as any. One of the Links was sitting motionlessly, hugging his legs and staring at the ground. The other seemed completely unbothered by this and was talking animatedly. Almost freakishly animatedly, actually.

"I won!" he was saying as Link approached. The other gave him the slightest glance and shivered.

"Just one battle," he mumbled, looking away. "There will be another one. They just keep coming back, over and over…"

"Oh boy! I can't wait to bomb some Dodongos!"

Neither of them said anything to Link, who stood between them, somewhat dumbfounded. The depressed-looking guy seemed normal for a Link, other than some slightly neurotic tendencies. But his companion was odd; something about his face was disturbing. After a moment Link raised his hand a bit and gave a nervous greeting.

Immediately the first Link sprang to his feet, hand on his sword. For a moment he looked as though he was really going to attack, but then he slowed and sat back down heavily.

"You look much like someone from my world," he explained, voice strained and so soft it almost couldn't be heard. "Someone I have fought many times. But you're not. This place is strange. I wonder why so many different worlds have been thrown together, why mine is so different."

"I just wonder what _Ganon's_ up to!"

An enormous amount of force hit the area, almost knocking Link from his feet. For a split second he realized that an attack was coming toward him, but he would never have been able to move in time. Fortunately, the depressed Link moved with unreal speed, knocking both of them to the side as silver flashed just over their heads.

On the ground, Link tried to pull his mind together. Where the strange Link had sat there was now only a smear of blood. Past them… the attack had gone past them. Numbly he turned to look and saw something spinning through the air. It was some kind of lengthy weapon, whirling at a swift rate, but it was of incredible size. Easily thicker than any tree trunk Link had seen. As he watched it, the weapon arced through the air and was suddenly caught by an enormous claw.

That was when he saw it, towering well above the nearby trees. He knew instinctively that it was Ganon. Not only was the body tall, it was massive, a walking mountain wielding a pair of unreal blades. He would have liked to believe the bulk was fat, but the way it shifted as the body moved he couldn't bring himself to think it for even a moment. Legs like stone pillars made the earth shake as the monstrosity began to move forward.

Though the eyes seemed small for the body, they glowed white so intensely they seemed to fill his vision. The face didn't resemble a human or animal, a demonic visage with straight horns spiking back from either side of the head. Everyone stood transfixed, not believing what they saw as the monster lumbered toward them.

Slowly the enormous blade shifted horizontally while all the Links were transfixed in horror. In his mind Link could see it sweeping through them in a terrible swath of blood and death. Yet the spirit of evil emanating from this abomination was crushing him from every side, preventing him from moving a muscles or uttering a word…

"Melee!" Abruptly the Link standing next to him screamed and charged at the behemoth. Instantly the arm moved, sending the sword into the ground and making it quake. Unperturbed, the attacker rolled to the side just as the blow almost struck him. Being knocked into the air by the force, he uncurled and slashed several times with his sword. The lines of blood were barely visible on the deep blue-green skin.

Twitching in pain, the arm brushed against the warrior still in the air. He was hurled backward, crashing across the ground into the rest. That group, however, had begun to spread out, forming a large circle around the monster. Their eyes had hardened and they had moved from a position of shock to a battle stance.

"It begins," a ghastly voice rumbled. It was enormous, far louder than seemed possible, yet the tone did not match the beast from which the voice came. The words were eerily calm, as if someone was speaking softly with his voice magnified a thousand times. "I know many of you from many worlds. Not all are here, but it is irrelevant. I am Infiganon. Perhaps this battle was fated from before time."

Abruptly one of the giant blades plunged into the ground, sending a shockwave over the entire battlefield and scattering leaves from the trees. In almost the same motion the other weapon slashed, sending an arc of destruction ripping through the ground and scorching the air. Link could only gasp in shock; if it had been directed at his position he would be dead. Somehow the Links on that side had anticipated and moved away, and even now the others were attacking from behind.

There was nothing he could do. The warriors that shared his name rushed Infiganon as one, evading the crushing blows and striking back from a dozen places. Within seconds the field was a wasteland of rock stained by blood so dark it appeared black. Setting foot in it would be death.

No. He had to do something. If he stood here and let the battle go past, somehow he knew that he would never be able to fight again, never be able to stand up against the monsters they would face, much less Knil. Drawing his sword with one hand, he pulled the boomerang from his belt with another. Getting close would be suicide, but there had to be an opening in which he could attack.

Amid the attacking Links, Infiganon continued to battle, disturbingly methodical. None of the blows made contact with the small figures assaulting him from the sides, but neither did their strikes reach much higher than his chest. Any efforts to attack together were instantly ended by shockwaves.

From the side, Link saw it several seconds before it happened. One of the others vaulted into the air, blade glowing with brilliant energy as he sailed toward Infiganon's back. The beast turned, a sharp elbow slamming into the green figure. It smashed into the ground, bouncing into the air. Before it could fall again an enormous blade stabbed from above, nearly splitting the warrior in half. For a moment the entire battlefield took a breath and hesitated.

Infiganon lifted the blade into the air to continue the fight, ignoring the red stain dripping from the black steel. As he did so his voice thundered over the battlefield. "That's one."

- - - - -

This isn't one of my favorite chapters, but in reviewing it before reposting I was pleasantly surprised. We have some comic moments and the appearance of the worst of all possible Links, then back to action and grim reality. This battle has been building since near the beginning of the story.


	22. Last Breath

Chapter 21: Last Breath

"No!" In his head it was loud cry, but it barely came out as a whisper. Even as Link gaped in horror, his right arm jerked from his side. Even as he struggled with disbelief it slung itself over his shoulder. The boomerang flashed across the air in a bright blue blur, streaking and hitting the armored back.

It deflected off, wobbling in the air before moving back toward him. Before it had returned Infiganon glanced in his direction, dark eyes uncaring. Almost casually, he raised one enormous blade, two fingers extended. For a split second he could see a sphere of energy, an ominous yellow, but then the energy was flying across the air toward him.

As it struck Link head on it threw his body into the sky, wracking it with pain. His vocal cords were consumed even as his mouth opened in a hideous scream, magic crackling out of his eyes and mouth. For a second the sphere hung suspended around him, then it faded from existence, leaving a glowing spot in the eyes of all who saw it and ashes floating in the air.

The sphere of energy deflected off a flashing sword. Link's breath came out in a desperate gasp and he almost fell to the ground. That feeling of death he had felt before was infinitely greater, magnified by the horror that was before them. But he was alive. His entire body was tingling as he felt his clothes against his skin, the wind in his hair, the blood rushing through his veins.

Flying in the opposite direction, the magical globe smashed into Infiganon's shoulder. He was already looking in another direction and gave a grunt of pain, whirling back to glare at them. Several more attacks were launched, but each was reflected back. With a roar the monster swept a blade up, knocking the attacks into the sky. Dark energy coated the blade for a moment, then Infiganon turned, smashing it on the opposite side and sending the fighters there flying.

Surely it was only a few seconds later, but Link felt as though he had recovered after a long sleep. Shiro was standing in front of him, blade calmly in hand and shimmering slightly. His arm was shaking slightly, but he turned to Link and gave a small nod.

"Thanks. I didn't know if I'd get a chance to reflect his attacks, but because he assumed he could kill you he was off-guard."

"Are… are you alright?" Link gasped at the blood that appeared to be trickling down Shiro's fingers, but the other man waved him off.

"This is nothing. I can't reflect them forever, but it seems to lack patience so I should be fine." Abruptly he grimaced, eyes flickering to the side. "If only… this is a bad situation. If I use it now they'll know."

"What?"

"Never mind." Shiro turned and put a hand on Link's shoulder. Though he met his eyes for a second, they immediately moved back to watch the battle that had resumed. "Listen, pull yourself together. If you don't have courage, someone like Ganon will show you your death a thousand times over. This is not your battle to fight."

With that he turned and moved back toward the battle, shaking blood off his hand before gripping his sword tightly. Link could only watch him go for several seconds before he gathered his wits and decided to move back to a safe distance. He wasn't sure such a thing existed.

"Stand aside!" Someone new had entered the battlefield, walking authoritatively toward Ganon from the front. Link couldn't properly see more than the green tunic and sword at this distance; he squinted… no. "I'm gonna send you back to the jar, Ganon!" Hero announced. With that he raised a hand and fired the hookshot.

The absurdity of it prevented everyone from moving. Such a thin chain, firing to strike the shin of a monster. Even if it was able to reach, it would probably only deflect off. Even if it hit in one of the wounds, it would be no more than a pinprick.

None of that mattered as Infiganon _jumped_. The titan's leap made the ground shudder. For an instant he was suspended above the earth, an impossibly large body of darkness blotting out the sky. As he came down both his blades bit deep, sending boulders flying in either direction and knocking some of the closer warriors off their feet.

Just before the attack struck, a form blurred from the side, kicking Hero out of the way, though he was still buried by the avalanche that followed. For an instant a Link was visible standing before the blades sweeping down, but then his form jerked into the air with a strange contortion. His momentum was stopped by wind pressure as the arms swept on either side of him, letting the others see that he had transformed into a dark-furred wolf.

Even as Infiganon brought his weapons to the ground, the beast was running up one arm. He saw it an instant before claws and teeth raked his neck. All the warrior could do was a falling pass before hitting the ground and desperately scrambling to avoid the feet that made craters of the area he had been moments before. Infiganon lurched forward slightly as he brought his blades to bear. Somehow his eyes did not seem concerned by the blood that now stained his neck.

From a distance Link continued to watch as all the true Links moved back into the battle. Though he might have died if he attempted anything, their movements weren't beyond him. They took his breath away, but he could follow them. Every warrior on the field was a master, a finely-tuned body bent toward a singular goal.

One of them jumped and Link winced at the mistake. He had barely completed the motion when the giant blade swept down to split the warrior in half. But while the blow was still in midair, a dark form flashed from the side, moving not for the Link in midair but for the massive hand. Ganondorf? The Geurdo smashed his fist into the back of Infiganon's hand, creating an enormous magical backlash.

When the light faded, Ganondorf and the Link were back on the ground, retreating. Infiganon wrung his hand for a moment, creating a hideous cracking sound. Unconcerned, the monster gripped the hilt with a grinding noise and began attacking once more, sending shockwaves exploding from the heart of combat.

For a moment the Links seemed divided, looking between the Ganon and Ganondorf. When the gargantuan blade came down on the Geurdo, however, nearly knocking him from his feet, all the warriors converged on the arm before it could rise again to finish him off. Blades stabbed deep into the skin and Infiganon gave a roar of pain. Moments later all of them were sent flying, some without their swords. Even disarmed, none of their eyes wavered.

"Looks like he's going to upstage me."

Absorbed in the battle, Link felt like his muscles made a good effort to leap out of his skin. Standing beside him was a warrior in red that he quickly recognized as Vio. The other man glanced down at him without much expression before continuing.

"Somehow I've got a feeling there's no way around this fight. Guess that means it's time to stop running, isn't it?" His form began to blur and flow between colors. Link rubbed his eyes and when he looked again there were three more Vios in green, blue, and purple. "This is gonna hurt like hell, but better that than the real thing. I'll hold him off to give the others some time."

All four bodies sprung at Infiganon as one, taking four bloody swaths out of the back of his knee. This time the monster nearly stumbled, but instead he turned, smashing the ground with his feet and slashing blades at the new threat. Miraculously, none of Vio's bodies were killed and all of them continued attacking, working their way up the body. Growling in pain and anger, Infiganon swatted at the attackers ineffectually.

Suddenly Vio had reached his head. Several events happened in swift succession, but all of them were clear as crystal in Link's eyes. The green Vio leapt up at the same time dark power coursed over Infiganon's body. Before it the three other bodies evaporated like wisps of smoke, but suddenly they were in the air and all four were stabbing at the monster's neck from all sides.

The blades bit deep into the flesh, but moments later two of them crumbled as one of Infiganon's blades severed their holders in half. Green and purple Vio crashed to the ground, the purple one landing further away but the green falling just in front of him. An infernal light lit up in Infiganon's eyes and he lurched forward, bringing down one massive foot.

Multiple arrows bit into his back, glowing with flame or brilliant light. Though he cried out in pain, he still crushed the warrior before him. The Vio in purple retreated, apparently in great physical pain and dropping to one knee as soon as he had reached a safe distance. Between panting breaths, however, he was grinning.

A ring of Link surrounded Infiganon, almost all of them bearing long-range weapons. When he began an attack, arrows struck him from behind, embedding their magic tips in his back. With a roar he whirled and fired several streaking magic globes, but these were pierced from the side by arrows of light. Again attackers struck him from another angle, making him stumble and drop toward the ground.

Mid-way down one foot struck the earth, stopping his fall.

Infiganon jolted upright, throwing his hands on either side of him and letting out a yell that seemed to tear at the heavens. Raw destructive power exploded on all sides of him, annihilating the surrounding area. It was as if the air itself was destroyed, and even from his position Link was nearly blown off his feet by the winds rushing to become a near cyclone in the exploding column of power. Bows and arrows were ripped from hands and some Links were consumed entirely.

Abruptly there was silence. A perfect circle had been carved around Infiganon, the field of rocks and rubble blasted to a flat plane below its surface. Getting to their feet, the others struggled to regain their composure and continue the attack.

"Will this be the end?" Infiganon asked. "When you combine your power, is this as far as it takes you?"

Lightening lit up the clear sky, flying from nowhere and hitting the monster from all angles. He shook in the electricity for a moment before dispelling the energy with a loud roar. Burning eyes searched for the culprit and settled on a small group of figures at the edge of the battlefield.

"You think to bend nature against me?" Infiganon laughed, beginning to stomp in their direction. "I will destroy the seasons themselves!"

"Yeah, yeah, we've heard it all before." Cid unfolded his arms and pulled his sword from its sheath. "Monsters like you should be seen and not heard." Beside him, Linkina drew her sword, Vincent put his hands to the sheath at his side, and Din clasped hers over her heart, eyes glowing brightly.

When the battle began again Link found himself transfixed by something other than terror. This must have been what Shiro had wanted him to do: to see himself in the warriors. Perhaps, in a future so far away it could hardly be imagined, he could fight like they did. Cid remained on the ground but moved quickly and efficiently, hacking at Infiganon. His blows were deep and drew dark blood, several times making the giant stagger. Meanwhile Vincent was dancing over the monstrous body, untouchable. He struck less than half as many times as the others, but each blow was a blinding strike that dealt significant damage. The others fought, but he barely saw them.

A chill ran up the back of his spine as he abruptly realized the battle was nearly over. It felt as though it had lasted for days; he let out the breaths he had been subconsciously holding. Ice formed with surprising speed over Infiganon's body, but he shattered it with a full-body movement. Suddenly his attackers were mostly gone and only Vincent and Cid were standing in front of him.

Both were in the air almost instantly, but Infiganon reacted with equal speed. The nearer blade swept in front of him toward the airborne figures, thundering with magical energy. Vincent met it head on as he drew his sword from his sheath. He was instantly knocked aside by the impact, plowing through the ground some distance away, but the enormous blade broke, the dark metal shattering.

Cid swept through the shards, eyes narrowed to slits. His sword had returned to its sheath and instead he brought down his rod with both hands. Infiganon looked up just as Cid landed on his face, jamming the rod down and into his eye. Liquid spurted, but it was still in midair when it was swallowed by flame. The fire burned out of Infiganon's skull in all directions, blasting over the wielder as well. An inferno blazed in the sky, Cid's cry of pain eclipsed by Infiganon's roar.

Suddenly the other arm flailed, bringing the remaining sword through the air. Cid went flying backward in a shower of blood, but all eyes were on Infiganon. He staggered backward slightly, head appearing a blackened husk with horrible burns where the eyes had been. Somehow he caught his balance, beginning to growl.

Then out of nowhere Ganondorf was in front of the unseeing face, clasping his hands and smashing them into the monster's forehead. The blow actually lifted Infiganon off his feet and for a moment they were both in midair, then the enormous creation fell back, hitting the ground and shaking the earth one final time. Ganondorf fell with him, continuing to pound the face with both fists.

For several seconds the only sounds were these blows, but finally they stopped. Shiro stood on the carcass, one hand touching Ganondorf's shoulder. After a pause he offered the other man a hand to rise. Link was the first to cheer, setting off a cacophony of exclamations and whoops that again filled the air with sound. Many of the Links watched the body nervously, but it showed no signs of anything devious. This time, at least, it seemed that he died and stayed dead.

Din alone was silent, flitting across the battlefield to her fallen husband. Link watched nervously, but after a few seconds she appeared again, holding up Vincent. He was injured but walking quickly, supporting himself with one arm on his wife's shoulders and determination in his eyes. Realizing his objective, Link hastened to follow them as they moved as quickly as possible to the place where Cid had fallen.

When they arrived, they found his body motionless. His head was tilted back and his eyes were glazed. The mail on his body was dull and lifeless, split in half by the force of the enormous blow that had dealt a devastating slash across his chest. For the first time Link was not disgusted by the sight; he was too filled with grief.

But then there was a slight noise, as if crystalline dust was being poured out over the area. A small glowing figure emerged from beside Cid, spinning around him and letting light cover his body. Several seconds later it dissolved into the air. Cid's body was twinkling with soft light, whole again but decidedly strange for him. After a second he pulled himself to a sitting upright position, grumbling and cursing.

"I'm glad you're alive," Link breathed. Cid spared him a glance and shrugged.

"Me too, I guess. But that was my last trick; I'm out of aces now. I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Huh?"

"This isn't over," Vincent told him, voice unusually soft. "Many other enemies are still alive, not to mention the Goddesses."

"All this worries me," Cid agreed. "That thing was probably just supposed to thin our ranks and force us to show our entire hand. Now we still have to deal with everything else they can throw at us. With any luck we'll have a bit of time before they can mobilize, but I wouldn't count on it."

"But we won," Link argued weakly. "That has to be a good thing, right? If we get more fairies, we can bring the others ba-"

"No!" Cid cut him off with unusual force, making the boy wince. "Magic may be able to bring people back from the very edge of death, but the dead are dead. Nothing can return them. Not fairies, not potions… not even the Triforce."

Eyes widening, Link struggled for find an adequate response. Silence was as close as he could come. It seemed far more appropriate than anything else he could have said. Din and Vincent both looked regretful, almost as if they knew what was happening. After the pause stretched on uncomfortably, Link turned to leave. Only then did he realize that he was still clutching his sword tightly, cramps in his fingers shooting pain up his arm. Finally putting it back in his sheath, he massaged the hand while wincing in pain.

They had won. That had to count for something.

* * *

From a distance the creatures watched the beginning celebration, anger and disbelief on their faces. The Moblin was far taller than most of its kind and two spears were crossed on its back, but its arms obviously had no strength to move them. All it could manage was a pitiful gesture to the nearby Stalfos, which wore golden armor and had a crown on its skull. As it spoke it did so in a strange growling tongue.

"Why do we fight? After this, are we worth nothing?"

"Not nothing," the other argued. The unnatural eyes hummed dangerously. "We will succeed where our master has failed. If the Goddesses speak the truth, and they can speak no other, we will soon be the ones to take all the glory. It requires so little and then the body of Infiganon will be consumed in flame and the Links will go with it. Then that will be the end of the legend and their victory."

"No."

Surprised, the Stalfos turned to look at its companion. The Moblin was still on its feet, but entirely missing a head. Before it could look for the attacker or even make a movement of surprise, a blade emerged from between its ribs. Numb with shock, the Stalfos looked down at the dark weapon poking through its body. Its body had not experienced a single sensation in decades, yet the steel felt terribly cold.

"None of what you have spoken will occur," the voice continued calmly. Behind it the Stalfos could barely see a man clad entirely in black, his eyes calm and dangerous over the edge of the cloth wrapped around his mouth. "They will not be allowed to fail yet."

Then the blade swept upward and there was nothing.

* * *

In the middle of the battlefield, several Links were startled as rocks began to shift, some flying through the air and many rolling away from one of the large piles of rubble. After several seconds Hero's face emerged, covered in dirt. He managed to get his torso out before his legs became more stuck. After struggling for a few seconds, he glanced toward the others.

"Did we win? Really? Awesome."

* * *

It was a bizarre feeling he'd experienced several times before. They had just finished a terrible battle, so some part of him felt as though he should be nearly dead. Cid flexed one hand, watching the bones and tendons shift. Thanks to the magic at the end, he felt just fine. Something psychological was resisting, though, insisting that not everything was alright. Almost like a hangover, except that his mental perception was incredibly sharp.

Everything around him was progressing too slowly. By this point everyone was going to stay with them, though their numbers had been decreased due to deaths during the battle. Several had gone back to their worlds to obtain magical healing, though Din was working overtime with those who were near death. Almost everyone had severe magical burn, though Vincent and a few others, himself included, didn't appear affected. Infiganon, or whatever it called itself, had been insanely powerful and a lot of Links were talking about it in low tones.

What worried Cid a lot more was the form this battle had taken. If everything Linkina and Vio had said was true, their enemy still had a lot of monsters left. Combining Infiganon with a large number of monsters would have been crushing. He probably would have advocated a full retreat, in that situation. But instead they had sent only one opponent. As if to buy time and prepare for something else.

Suddenly Altair was sitting opposite him. No, not suddenly, it just appeared that way. Looking into his memory, Cid knew he had seen him approach and sit down, but somehow none of it had registered. Just who he wanted to talk to.

"Didn't see you at the battle," he commented. "Couldn't make it?"

"Something came up," Altair answered dryly. "You won, so does it matter?"

"Of course it does, but I'm not going to start fights I can't win." Cid sat back and pulled a thin stick from his pocket, though he just played with it in his hands idly. "But this isn't the kind of war you can win just by killing the big monster. They still outnumber us and we don't even know the conditions for victory."

"Isn't that the nature of war?"

"Funny." Cid glanced up at the other man with narrowed eyes. "I don't suppose you're going to be of any help, are you?"

"You tell me." Altair abruptly made a flicking motion and something flew between them with startling speed. Cid barely caught it in front of his chest. Forcing his hand open, he saw a Shard resting in it and raised an eyebrow. "Another Link acquired it before he left this world," Altair explained.

"What a great present. The only way it could be better would be, I don't know, having any idea what we were supposed to _do_ with them."

"Don't lose too much sleep over it," Altair answered, getting to his feet. "Look to the sea. You will have answers very soon, as straightforward as you could possibly want."

"I've had worse prophecies, I guess." Cid rested his arms on his knees and stared up into the sky for several seconds before looking back down. "How much longer is this going to go on? Will they keep sending opponents like these one by one? Or are they accomplishing their real goal while we waste time here?"

Altair had started to walk away but paused and glanced back. There might have been a touch of humor in his eyes. "All of you have very little time left." Then he turned away and didn't look back.

For a long time Cid started after the retreating black cloak. After a moment he chuckled and shook his head. "Touché, Altair. Should have seen that coming." He jabbed the stick in his mouth and clamped it in a grin.

* * *

At the edge of the camp another man sat alone. His green tunic and cap might have stuck out in any other company, but here it was barely seen. The sword at his side was powerful, forged by the greatest magic of the world, yet run of the mill for such heroes. Unlike the others, the fall of Infiganon had brought him little joy. Since getting his wounds healed he had drifted away, moving to the edge of camp and slumping against a large stone that had embedded itself in the ground. It was solid and cold, but a decent place to rest. He could just sit here, unmoving for the rest of time…

His eyes were downcast, seeing nothing but the ground before him until dark boots moved at the very edge of his vision. For the first time in almost an hour he looked up, looking at the man in black but barely seeing him. The visitor was standing just in front of him, looking to the side without expression.

"Why are you here?"

"I wish I knew," the Link answered, the words barely making it into the air. "I'm useless. In the battle, it was all of the others that made a difference. Everything that I did was a drop in the ocean. The others… they're so much faster, wiser, stronger. When the next battle comes, I don't think I'll be able to make a difference at all."

"So?"

"It isn't fair!" A touch of emotion entered his voice and he sat up straighter, glaring at his questioner as if he was responsible for everything. "What can I do if fate has made them better Links than I am?"

"Are you going to run away?"

"I… no." Again he slumped, shaking his head slowly. "I can't. Even if I can't do anything, I have to keep fighting. Destiny and all of that doesn't matter."

"Perhaps you are the truest Link here."

In surprise, the man looked up, but he was alone. Somehow the worlds still echoed softly in his mind. Had anything even happened just now? After the battle he'd been so shaken, he wouldn't put it past himself to be hallucinating. This wasn't like him. He ran his hands through his hair and exhaled heavily before getting to his feet. Time to get ready for battle.

- - - - -

This chapter is late and for that I apologize. Hopefully the nature of this battle was enough to make up for it.


	23. A Time For Words

Chapter 22: A Time for Words

The white sail had appeared not long after the battle, Vio reported, though he had to estimate because he had been focused on Infiganon. It gleamed white on the horizon and was coming closer. Several of them had gone out to look, but though it would arrive that day they couldn't tell anything else about it.

Several Links favored attacking it before it could arrive, in case it held another monster, but they were overruled by the majority. Whoever arrived, they would deal with the situation at that time. Right now it was more important to prepare for whatever would come next. Several individuals had gone to the shore to wait for the arrival while most of them remained at the temple and waited.

Link was at the camp, so he didn't notice the commotion for a while. Vincent and Cid were both busy, but many of the others were more than willing to help him train. He had gotten the feel for his new sword almost immediately, which he thought was a good sign. After all, the hero was supposed to be able to use most weapons instantly.

Still, he was completely overwhelmed by the amount of information swirling in his mind. Many of the things in the battle were beyond him, but there were an equal number of tricks he thought he could master with some work. Before he could try out too many of them, though, the sparring shuffled to a halt as a group entered their area. All of the camp was collapsing in on itself, Links coming together and sitting on whatever was available in a rough circle.

At the head of the group leading this shift was Ulrira, speaking in a low voice with Cid and some of the others. They continued speaking until everyone had gathered. Seeing a meeting was clearly about to begin, Link sheathed his sword and found a seat near the back where he wouldn't be in the way.

"Greetings to you all," Ulrira began. "Many of you I do not know, and some I knew seem to no longer be with us. Is this everyone?"

"Pretty much," Linkina answered, folding her arms. "Since you're here in person instead of sending a dream, I assume something important is going to go down?"

"That is a succinct way of stating it. Forgive me for taking the floor, but I have information that I presume will be of great interest to everyone present. Initially, greetings from the far northern continent. There is a group of us there of perhaps equal size to this one, but unfortunately my ship can only accommodate one.

"I could say a great deal about what has been done across the world. There are tales of bravery and sacrifice, great battles and journeys. But I think that kind of thing is passé for us, so I'll skip the theatrics and move to the relevant part. From what I have been told, it appears you have been encountering a great deal of opposition."

"No, really?" one of them asked to scattered laughter. Link blinked, not understanding why anyone would find it funny. Cid was glowering, but that had probably been his expression before as well. Most of the others with whom he had traveled were somber as well.

"You seem to have won important military victories," Ulrira answered, "but your brethren on the other continent have acquired information. With these two combined I hope we can put an end to this struggle in the dark and finish the war.

"Here is the short version: this island is the center of the Sacred Realm and the temple is the heart of the island. That is why all our worlds are linked here. Consequently, this will be the stage of the final battle."

"Battle with whom?" Vincent asked. Ulrira glanced at him and paused for a moment before coughing into his fist.

"Unfortunately, we are not completely certain. What we know is that someone in one of these dimensions discovered how to move between worlds. In their travels they somehow became angry with the laws of destiny and now they wish to destroy the systems of Link, Zelda, and Ganon. They call themselves the Goddesses, but this is only hearsay from their underlings."

There were expressions of surprise from around the camp. Din gripped Vincent's hand a bit tighter and Cid merely ground his teeth on the stick in his mouth.

"Whatever the case, they have been preparing for this for some time. From across the world they have gathered monsters as well as more powerful subordinates, others who have become disillusioned with their worlds. I do not know why they decided to move now, but it is irrelevant."

"Seriously, what?" Hero asked, throwing up his hands. "How are they gonna destroy destiny or legend and all that? Even if they can kill us, which hasn't worked so well yet, that won't change things."

"They don't intend to." The soft voice was Shiro's, opening his eyes for the first time. "All of this fighting is only a means to their greater end. Right?"

Ulrira nodded, meeting Shiro's gaze calmly. "In order for this to make sense, let me go back in time somewhat. Their first step was to create this place, Sacred Realm in name only, that is a fusion of all worlds. We couldn't find out why this would be necessary, but it seemed to be a critical step. Unfortunately, they discovered it wasn't that simple.

"For whatever reason, their plan did not come to completion. The Sacred Realm is… unfinished may be the best word. As an unfortunate side effect, from their perspective, the Links from every world were drawn here. Perhaps originally we would have all been destroyed; we cannot know. But now they seek to acquire the 'seal' of this world, which will smash all our homes into one abomination."

"The Shards, right?" Linkina asked. All the attention was immediately on her, so she pulled the small black object from her pouch and held it up. "They were obviously trying to get a hold of these, so we figured they had to be important. Are these what they need to complete the Sacred Realm?"

"Precisely." Ulrira shifted one hand from his robes and revealed another Shard, gleaming darkly. "These can be assembled in the temple between our worlds. I am still uncertain as to the mechanism, but I can say this much: we must be the ones to assemble it. If we do, most likely all of us will be thrown back to our homes and the paths between worlds will be destroyed. But if they acquire all the Shards, the consequences will be dire indeed. Unfortunately, we discovered only one on our continent. My hope is that between all of us…"

His voice trailed off as the Links glanced between each other and checked their equipment. Vincent extended his Shard as well. After a moment's pause, Cid held up his hand, two Shards set between his fingers. No others were forthcoming, but Ulrira gave a deep sigh of relief.

"That is fortunate. There appear to be seven in total."

"We only have five," Vincent stated, watching the other man closely. "Does that mean you know the location of the other two?"

"Indeed. Another is guarded in a fortress within one of the worlds; it seems they got their hands on it almost immediately. I suspect one of us aided them… but enough of this. One final Shard is hidden within this very Sacred Realm. We do not know the exact location, but an army is heading toward it. Someone will need to fight them in order to acquire it first."

"Alright!" Hero pumped his fist into the air. "I can't wait to bomb some Dodongos!"

"You too?" Linkina groaned.

"What? I met that guy. He was pretty cool."

"Excuse me," another Link interrupted in a loud voice, getting everyone's attention.

"Thank you," Ulrira said with a nod. "We need to contin-"

"Actually, that may be important, but I just wanted to point out there are _a lot_ of people coming out of the temple right now."

Everyone turned, though it seemed that some of them had already seen it. There was indeed a large crowd beginning to gather at the entrance. Most of them were wearing armor and carrying weapons, so quite a few of the group were getting ready to defend. Link squinted, trying to make out two figures in the lead that didn't look quite like the others. They were just small shapes for a while before abruptly they snapped into place: Zelda and Nabooru.

"Those are my men," Cid declared. With a sharp gesture for the others to stand down he pulled himself to his feet and moved toward the temple quickly. Link and the others who had visited his world got up to meet them as well. As they left, the rest of the group split up, returning to their former activities and preparations.

It barely seemed to take any time to get across the field. Most of the knights seemed to relax when they saw Cid approach. Zelda and Nabooru moved out to meet them. From this distance, Link could see that there were some Geurdo among the Hylians, though they looked on edge and were not mixing.

From a short distance Cid raised a hand and called. "You actually came."

"Yeah, that's a new experience for me," Zelda shot back. Nabooru glanced over at her and blinked.

"Really?"

"No, I'm just being an ass." The Queen of Hyrule looked back up at the group as they got closer. "None of you have died, I see. Mixed feelings about that. I brought your army; are you happy?"

"Overjoyed, but that joy pales in comparison to my delight at hearing your sweet voice again," Cid answered. "Are most of the soldiers still on the other side of the door?"

"Right."

"For the time being, let them set up in the field. This world feels slightly different than ours and I don't want it throwing off anyone during the battle. Right now nothing is trying to kill us, but it's only a matter of time. I'd like a week or so to prepare, but we can discuss that later today. There are a lot of factors involved."

"What about the Geurdo?" Nabooru asked. "Also, where is Master Ganondorf?"

"He's probably hiding," Din told her with a smile. "Being around this many Links makes him uncomfortable. But he'll show up once he realizes you're here."

"For the time being, bring them in as well," Cid told her. "Keep them in separate camps. I know we're all best buddies here, but I don't want there to be any unnecessary strain."

"Maybe we can do trust exercises later," Zelda suggested sardonically. Cid purposefully turned his back to her and glanced to the others.

"While I take care of things here, get whatever you need. Let's meet in the temple tonight and we'll discuss where to go from here. I'll invite a few others, but for the most part it will just be us. That's already larger than I'd like, but it'll be a bit easier to talk."

The others nodded and split up, moving back into the camp. Link hesitated for just a moment, trying to decide if he should look for any of the Geurdo who had trained him. Meanwhile, Cid and Zelda continued to face off. He slid the rod from behind his back and flipped it to her.

"Burned itself out, I think."

"It looks like it's just spent," she decided after an analysis. "I assume you just used it too heavily at some point. If we let it sit in a location with great fire for a while it'll recharge itself. A volcano would work well."

"Well, we have several of those sitting around, so take your pick."

"I knew you'd do this, so I went and got the other one." Zelda revealed another rod, of similar size but a pale blue. "Can you try not to be so hard on everything you touch? They tend to break, and not everything can be put back together." Her tone was strange, a fact not lost on Cid. He watched her for a moment, then took the rod silently. At the edge of the conversation, Link decided it was past time for him to go. It was time to train, anyway.

* * *

That night it grew dark especially early, all light draining from the completely clear sky. Link was glad to go inside, where at least the magical torches of the temple made things a bit brighter. Once inside, though, he found they were much less comforting than the small fires that had been lit outside. He almost wanted to leave and just skip the meeting altogether. It wasn't as if he would make a difference.

But as he turned to go he heard a soft melody, floating from the passage to the heart of the temple. Ulrira? He padded inside and made his way through the shadows toward the music. Eventually he came to the central room, as brightly lit as always. They were gathered there, almost everyone he had met over the course of the quest. Without knowing quite why he had to blink moisture out of his eyes.

"You're late," Cid snapped. "Sit down so we can get started." Link quickly did so, dropping to the ground and crossing his legs. They formed a rough circle just to the side of the dais: Cid, Vincent, Hero, Din, Ulrira, Vio, Linkina, Ganondorf, and Shiro. As he joined them Ulrira dropped the volume considerably, though his fingers still played lightly over the harp.

"Right now our purpose is to decide how we should divide ourselves," Vincent began, panning his eyes over the others slowly. "Obviously we need two groups to take each of the other Shards."

"But that isn't all." Cid swiveled the stick in his mouth to the opposite side, eyes fixed on the floor in the center of the group. "We'll need several commanders with the armies, in case there's an attack. And I do think they'll use their army again, so we need to be prepared. This room is also critical; if they control it we can't complete our objective. Between four locations that spreads us kind of thin."

"I think I'm the obvious choice to help command," Vio spoke up. "I should be able to revive my copies, though they won't be able to fight much. But I can transfer information easier than anyone else."

"Exactly what I was thinking. You think you can help him, Ms. Link?" She nodded. "Then I'll leave the organization of the Links here in your hands. Try to scatter them among my soldiers, though, in case they have some more big monsters."

"I can go after one of the Shards," Ganondorf suggested. "While the others have been very understanding, I can tell my presence makes them tense. But I believe I could contribute to an attack squadron."

"That's one member, then." Cid took the stick out of his mouth in order to jab at other people in the circle. "We want a small but balanced team for the last Shard. Vincent – Din – you want to round out that team?"

"Why do you always put them together?" Hero whined. Cid just rolled his eyes.

"It makes logical sense. There's no reason to break up the dynamic duo."

"Then can I go with them? That job sounds like the most fun."

"Yes, sure, whatever." Cid glanced to the others. "That leaves just four of us for the last two options. I don't like it, but we're running out of options here."

"This Shard in the fortress…" Shiro was speaking calmly, eyes not quite closed. "How large is the fortress? Do we know if it is guarded?"

"From what we could tell, the fortress was hastily constructed," Ulrira answered, not stopping the soft plucking of his harp's strings. "However, the Shard is likely at the very heart of it and there are dozens of monsters within. Why do you ask?"

"I will recover that one. Alone."

Everyone blinked in surprise, but Shiro's expression didn't change. His face could not have been more serious, eyes meeting theirs silently. Cid narrowed his eyes and put his stick back in his mouth, grinding it for a few seconds before speaking.

"You'd better have a damn good reason to believe you can get that one back."

"I do. It will arrive here if it costs me my life."

"…if you say so." Cid's gaze snapped to the remaining two. "Ulrira, I want to keep you in reserve to transfer messages if necessary. Link and I will handle this room."

"Are you sure?" Link asked. He regretted it, but realized with a strange feeling this might be the last time Cid gave him that flat stare.

"If they're going to use that thing again, you can bet they'll send it here. I can keep everything else from killing you. Between us both, it'll be moderately secure." He got to his feet and brushed off his pants, signaling the end of the meeting. "This plan's the best we can do with what we have. We probably don't have more than a week to get ready, so start preparing."

With that he stalked out of the room and the others began to disperse as well. Link remained sitting, staring at the dais for a long time.

* * *

"That musician bastard got away, which means the others know," Kotake argued, making a vague gesture with one hand. In response he received a similar but rather ruder gesture. Dalboss moved his hand back into a fist, creating a faint clinking noise as the plates in his armor moved.

"It doesn't matter. All of them will die one way or another. If you can't do the deed, I will kill them myself."

"So you say," Koume spoke softly. "But that is not what concerns my brother. By the time we are ready, all the Links will be aware of the situation. They will send as strong a team as possible to acquire whatever shards remain."

"Then you can kill them. I will fight in the main battle."

"Once this is over," Kotake hissed, "we will end this. The new world will have no place for brutes like you either." Dalboss moved, his hand loudly grabbing the hammer slung over his shoulder. The Geurdo twins began to move in response, magic swirling around them. Before either side could attack, however, they were interrupted by the sound of white gloves coming together sharply.

"Children, please," Light said, voice dripping with condescension. "Let him do what he wants. If a trial of strength comes up, I should be more than sufficient. The three of us will have the final Shard in hand before the battle has ended."

"That won't end things," Kotake objected. He turned away as he spoke, continuing to move down the dark corridor. It was a dull, empty place, but at the end of the hallway there was a golden light. The others moved with him, tense but more focused on their goal. "We know they have at least three of the Shards and we have one, but two others are unaccounted for. Though we may kill the majority of them in this battle, even one is a threat. This won't be over until the Sacred Realm is completed."

"When will it be?" Koume asked softly, giving him a nervous glance. "They say that things are almost ready, but I worry. The world at the end of that hallway is a terrible place…"

"It is none of your concern." The golden voice made everyone jolt slightly, looking sharply at the end of the corridor. One of the Goddesses stood on the other side calmly, blank eyes fixed on them. "See to it that you do your part and we will fulfill the divine role."

"Whatever," Dalboss rumbled, though even his deep voice seemed softer in the golden presence. "When can we fight them again? This waiting is getting irritating."

"Very soon," came the answer. As they entered the room they immediately saw the other two, standing on either side of Knil. He was kneeling but just as they entered he rose. Somehow the golden light did not reflect in the grey of his clothes, which seemed to billow around him as if reaching for the world.

"Feeling better?" Kotake's mouth twisted in a sneer. This expression wilted as Knil glared at him, dead grey eyes unchanging.

"Silence, you fool." Knil stalked past the group as he moved to the corridor, not looking over at them. "The next time I go into battle will be the last. All the Links will perish before me. That is why I was made."

With that he vanished into the corridor, the shadows somehow not touching the grey of his tunic. As the others turned away Light made a shrugging gesture. "Winsome fellow."

"Talk as much as you want." Koume jabbed a finger into his arm, eyes tightening. "We know you're afraid of him too."

Light didn't seem to hear her, instead turning to the Goddesses that had moved to stand in their usual triangular formation. "What of the fortress? It seems very likely they would send a group to attack it as well."

"Do not concern yourself with it," was the threefold answer. "We have used the last of our influence to place a barrier around the Shard. To overcome it, they would have to go beyond the limits of any mortal."

The others started to speak, but their words were drowned out by a brilliant glow. Energy began to build around the Goddesses as they faded, though their voices remained strong and clear. "Defeat the Links. Acquire the Shards. Then wait. The Sacred Realm must not be complete until all is in order and reality will be reordered in our image."

Then they were gone as if they had never been. None of them spoke until Light brushed a lock of hair aside and began moving toward the shadows. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I intend to begin moving. This battle may be the only one of its kind."

* * *

Zelda had set up a somewhat of a desk in the former puzzle room, spreading out several papers on one of the large blocks. When Cid entered she raised an imperious eyebrow at him but didn't comment. Not long after Vincent and Nabooru arrived as well, taking up seats and apparently just waiting.

"What?" she eventually asked. "I can't work with the three of you staring like this."

"We just need to discuss plans," Cid explained. "Once you're finished with all the important work, we can get around to the defense of reality."

"Speak, then."

"I don't like the soldiers out in the field for too long. They'll be an obvious target and I don't want to draw any unnecessary attention. As many good things as I have to say about them, they won't be able to stop a surprise attack from some of the things up against us."

"What should we do?" Nabooru speaking, this time.

"Glad you asked. I would recommend splitting the army into as many companies as there are doors here. Each can enter a world and camp there. As soon as enemies come, we can quickly alert everyone. I'd like to see the looks on their faces when an entire army comes pouring out the temple – and I intend to."

"That is only one aspect," Vincent pointed out. "What about everything else?"

"I know." Cid folded his arms and shifted to the balls of his feet. "At this point, I think we'll mostly have to trust the others and hope we've played our cards well. Still, there are a few things. We should train Link, a lot more intensely than before. He needs to improve."

"The boy?" Zelda asked. "Why bother? Many of your knights are stronger than him."

"The situation has gotten more complicated."

"I love it when they do that."

"Don't we all." Cid cleared his throat and then went on. "There's some kind of anti-Link called Knil – don't say it, we know – and he's a real pain in the ass. But for some reason Link can fight it. Last time he was somewhat weaker, so unless it's improved a lot this time they should be about on par. We can throw it off a cliff or something later, but I want to make sure I have someone around to hold it off in case it shows up."

"That's essentially our game for the time being, right?" Smiling sadly, Vincent ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know how long we can delay them once they decide to attack, though. At most we can earn a few more days."

"That'll be enough," Cid answered gruffly. "We have a solid basic plan, and every day we have to polish it the better. I-"

"Sir Link!" His head whipped around toward the voice. In the door stood a man in heavy armor, his visor up to show his face, panting for breath. Despite this, he continued speaking. "An army! It's huge!"

"Well, damn it all," Cid said, remarkably calmly. "I guess we'll improvise the entire thing. Nabooru, lead the army until Linkina and Vio can arrive. Vincent, get the others and head out before the battle starts. See if you can find Shiro and tell him to get moving as well. I'll go back to the main room and hope it all works out."

His commands were immediately followed, a fact that gave him more pleased than it should. As he turned on his heel to go to the dais, with every step his happiness diminished. The Shards weighed heavily in his pocket, as if they could sense the end was coming and were burning in anticipation. So they were going to get thrown right into the thick of things, were they? That was how these things always seemed to go. An adventure was really just a cheap way to describe a problem. Nothing left to do but try the best they could.

The back of his mind whispered that it might already be too late. Cid told it to shut up.

- - - - -

It is unfortunate this chapter does not bring the story to over 100 000 words, because it would have been the most appropriate one to break that marking point. Much information is given, the final rest is taken, and the final battles have been set up. Hopefully everyone will like the conclusion, though that is chapters away yet.


	24. A Time for War

Chapter 23: A Time for War

Each time his foot touched the smooth surface another identical limb came to meet it. Vincent forced his gaze away from the floor and the disturbing impressions it gave him. The entire hallway, everything they'd seen so far in the temple, was made of the same pale stone, polished so smooth that it reflected. It didn't create a perfect reflection like a mirror, but instead gave the impression of a distorted copy of yourself lurking beneath the surface. Whenever he looked down, the face looking up at him seemed to be smiling.

Was it feasible this temple itself would fight against them? That possibility had to be considered, after all. But in this case he didn't think that was their largest concern. Other than some local monsters surrounding the location, it was surprisingly unguarded for the resting place of the last Shard.

Their progress so far had been easy, which was always a cause for alarm. He had managed to silently kill all the enemies in their way, so theoretically none of the other monsters knew of the group's presence. There had been an energy barrier on the door, but Din had been able to destroy that without much magical residue. Since then there had been nothing to oppose them, just these mirroring corridors.

This wasn't even a normal temple, as far as he could tell. There had been no monsters and no traps. For a while he had been worried they were trapped in some kind of magical loop, but he was sure they were making progress toward the end.

Not that he would complain if this job was easy. Alone he could have taken on most things, but others made everything more complicated. Din hardly counted as an addition, but the other two… Ganondorf had been silent and seemed capable enough, but Hero was another story. Vincent had no desire to be around him when dealing with traps or puzzles. No, it was very good that this might be a quick mission.

He had a bad feeling about the rest of the battle, but if they could collect the Shards before the fighting even reached the dais room they might be able to prevent everything from becoming desperate. Din said she thought she could send the Shard through the elements, so Cid would have the Shard several minutes after they obtained it.

As they entered a new hallway, for an instant a blinding light burned inside his head. None of the others seemed effected, but he instantly skidded to a halt, gesturing for the others to do the same. Ganondorf stopped himself by stomping while Din gracefully slid to just behind him; Hero lost his footing and crashed across the floor to the side. This noise barely registered to Vincent, whose eyes were fixed on the opposite side of the hallway.

It was only a door, as blank and reflective as the rest of the temple. True, it was the first closed door they had encountered on the inside, but that didn't have to be a cause for alarm. Yet he couldn't overcome a feeling of dread as he stared at it. In the center, divided by a thin line where the smooth slabs met, was another reflection of him, a muddled copy that seemed to glare at him with dark eyes.

Without a sound the slabs parted. Standing exactly behind the reflection was Light, a slight smile on his face. He ignored the others as they prepared for combat and stepped from what appeared to be an elevator. As he moved across the hallway he brushed a speck of dirt from his snowy white tunic before looking up at them for the first time.

"Was that a bit much?" When they didn't answer he merely shrugged and continued. "This seemed an opportune place to wait for you, in any case. Seeing as this will be our last opportunity to fight, try not to disappoint me."

"You!" Hero roared, jumping back up to his feet. "There's no way I'll lose this time!"

"Ah, you," Light echoed. "Worthless Link, if I recall, but you got saved by someone more interesting. Where is that guy, by the way? Older, shortish, perpetual grumpy look on his face? Even if he turned down my offer, I'd like to fight him. The reign of a new god should be inaugurated with blood."

"Quit ignoring me!" Hero leapt forward, somersaulting several times in midair and moving across the chamber in a gravity-defying bound. As he reached his opponent he unsheathed his sword, pulling it over his head and bringing it down-

Hero smashed against one of the side walls, crumpling to the ground. Light straightened, lowering his hand and focusing on the others. His eyes burned almost solid white and his face had split in a terrible grin. "I have no time for fools. Come and die."

Din and Vincent glanced at one another and then split off in opposite directions. Once she reached one of the side walls, Din dropped into a defensive crouch and began focusing. Vincent made a narrow curve, coming in at Light from the side. The other Link's smile did not fade, his eyes evaluating his opponent carefully as he swept in low.

Suddenly Ganondorf struck, fist smashing at the side of Light's head. At the last second his eyes widened and he jerked away, but the blow connected in a shower of crimson magic. The attack knocked him across the chamber, but when he skidded to a halt by the wall his sword was raised in front of his face, still smoking from the impact.

"So you've joined them. Fitting, I suppo-"

Before he could even change position, Ganondorf was on him, striking with several blows simultaneously. Each was deflected, and Light pushed off the ground and attacked in response. His slash missed as Ganondorf stepped out of the way, but the instant he drew his sword back he stabbed forward. All the Geurdo warrior could do was turn aside, the edge still scraping across his armor. The maneuver put him in close quarters with his opponent, so he immediately attacked.

One of the white gloves knocked his fist aside, the other bringing the sword to bear. Ganondorf had his hand ready to block, but at that instant he saw Light's face. That glimpse of savage glee made him realize that the pale sword would tear through his hand and bite into his heart. Jerking his arm away and dodging back, he managed to limit the damage to a shallow gash on his right shoulder.

"See ya, sucker!" Hero called from behind both of them, halting the combat for a moment. He was running across the room toward the elevator, where Din and Vincent already stood. They froze for a moment, but Ganondorf was already moving. When his fist smashed into the ground it created a large shockwave of dark magic in either direction, preventing Light from moving forward.

When the elevator noiselessly lifted and the doors closed, Ganondorf breathed a sigh of relief. The fool had almost ruined everything. But now Din and Vincent would be given the opportunity to acquire the Shard. All was well.

At that moment the magic faded and Ganondorf withdrew his previous statement. Light hadn't taken a step after Hero had spoken, instead standing calmly with his sword at his side, simply waiting. Now that they were alone, he slowly walked back to the center of the room. The Geurdo followed them so both of them faced off from opposite sides.

"You think you allowed them to get past me?" Light laughed softly. "I let them go. You're as big a fool as last time – you think the plan is working, but soon all of your friends will be dead."

"Shut up, you monster." Ganondorf's hands clenched, making a deep grinding noise. "This won't be the same as last time."

"Indeed, it won't be. Last time we merely fought over the world, but now the stakes are all reality. Last time you escaped death, but this time you will not be so lucky. Last time-" He was cut off by the scraping of a blade. Ganondorf drew a dark broadsword from his back with one hand and brought it to combat position. Light's eyes widened for a moment, but then he smiled once again. "Are you saying you've changed? How quaint."

"For everyone you have killed, I will end you."

"No, it seems you haven't changed at all." Light shifted to the backs of his feet, apparently off guard but eyes still narrow and dangerous. "We're in no hurry, so let me explain the truth of your situation to you. I'll admit our allies are not the same as last time. Yours probably won't die so easily… but of course, neither will mine."

The blood drained from Ganondorf's face as Light continued. "Did you really think they could simply take the Shard and go? Do you really think I play guard duty for the Goddesses or anyone else? You know me better than that. By the time I have killed you, everything will be in place. The others may be in the dark, but I know the location of each and every Shard. One by one the others will fall as I kill their owners, exhausted in their victories. After this defeat there will no longer be a war."

"You think you can beat me so easily?" Ganondorf shot back, eyes flashing. He raised his sword to shoulder level, pointing it at his opponent. "It will not go as smoothly as you predict."

"It won't?" Light grinned once more and his eyes burned. "I am a Link. Victory is my destiny. Yours is only to die."

* * *

So many… Shiro lowered what appeared to be a magnifying glass, though the handle and rim was a deep purple and it glowed with a strange magic. After slipping the Lens of Truth back into his pouch, he stretched his arms a few times, wriggled the circulation back into his fingers, and started walking forward.

His glimpse into the fortress ahead of him had not been pleasant. Though it did not appear there were many monsters of epic proportions, there were certainly a lot of minions. Enough to exhaust a small army. Even just cutting through them would take a great deal of time, which was probably exactly what they had planned. Worst of all, the Shard could be anywhere within the massive structure.

In that case, he had no choice but to find it manually. He was almost out of the trees and to the entrance. A great bridge led the way into the fortress. There was no gate, but there were dozens of statues lining the entrance. Their heads swiveled back and forth, stone eyes sweeping the path. For a few minutes he watched their patterns, to see if there was a way through. It was remarkable, how much security could be penetrated by simple observation.

That was not to be the case this time. With so many heads on different patterns, it was completely impossible to sneak inside. At any given moment the entire bridge was under surveillance. Even at top speed, the statues would come to life and bar his way before he would get inside. No way through but straight ahead.

Smiling, Shiro walked from the trees and toward the center of the bridge. As he did so, he reached into his tunic, pulling something from a hidden pocket in the chest. It was a dull grey mask, almost featureless. When it touched his face and he took his hand away it remained attached there like some bizarre parasite.

Step by step he crossed the bridge. Around him the statues continued to monitor the bridge vigilantly. Their sweeping gazes did not pause as he moved between them and finally entered the fortress without a sound.

Once inside, he found that the first floor was cavernous, the walls arching up into the shadows. It appeared that the visible fortress was mostly this level. Either his job would be made much easier, or he would have to move into basements. History suggested it would be the latter.

Various guard patrols marched throughout the floor, formed of humanoid creatures with hoods and eyes glowing within. Garo, most likely. He would have to avoid any of their masters, but for the time being he easily walked between them, making a mental map of the floor as he went. Not a tremendously complicated place. Other than the temples housing the Shards, most of the buildings of the Sacred Realm appeared hastily constructed for their immediate purposes.

Eventually it became obvious there was only one way forward. He had been avoiding the door in the center of the fortress because it was closed, but there didn't seem to be another way on. A guard stood on either side of it, rigidly at attention. It was impossible to judge their skill, but they wouldn't have been given this job if they weren't able to notice a door opening.

No choice, then. Shiro stepped behind one of them and slashed his sword through the man's spine at the base of the skull. As he crumpled his partner whirled, searching the corridor. It was completely empty, containing no shadows due to the torches. Still, perhaps there was an attacker from afar. He drew his sword and held it defensively, moving forward cautiously.

A blinding pain cut through the back of his neck and he knew no more. Shiro caught him by the back of his armor before he could hit the ground. Checking to make sure he had shed no blood, the assassin retrieved the other soldier and carried them both to an isolated spot. That would be sufficient; it could only buy him a minute or two regardless.

For several seconds he paused by the door, searching for anyone nearby or a trap. Once he was satisfied, he opened the door for a split second, flowing through it like water and closing it without a sound once he was on the other side.

As he had expected, he was now in a large square room at the very heart of the fortress. There appeared to be some kind of stairway on the opposite side of the room, but it was currently blocked off by a large slab. At least one basement level, then, hardly a cause for surprise. Shiro walked inside, examining the walls and the high ceiling, crisscrossed by a complicated pattern of rafters. Yes, this was his path.

"That's far enough."

In an instant he stopped and glanced over his shoulder, eyes narrow. Standing behind him was another Garo, this one clad all in black. The eyes gleaming from inside the hood were most definitely looking directly at him. All around him other monsters were appearing from portals of darkness, creating a ring slowly advancing toward the center of the room.

With a sigh Shiro removed his mask and put it in his pouch. It was past the time for subterfuge and he wouldn't want it to be broken.

"I do not know what magic you possess," the Boss Garo told him evenly, "but it is not strong enough to escape the trained eye. You will go no further."

"That appears to be the case, yes," Shiro answered, casually putting one hand to his hip. Every eye, monster or humanoid, in the chamber was on him. All of them saw as his other hand jerked up to grab his sword from over his shoulder and at that moment all of them charged, magic and fire flying at him from all directions.

Grabbing his hookshot with his free hand, Shiro fired it directly upward. Just before all the attacks reached him he was jerked high into the air, vanishing in the shadows at the top of the chamber. Some of the monsters crashed into each other but the others immediately looked toward the sky. Seconds later bombs began falling, sending several Dodongos to an early grave.

A lizard-like creature began climbing one of the walls, making its way toward the ceiling. Before it got half way up an arrow pierced its neck and it dropped back to the ground, making several others hesitate in their own climbs. Crouched on one of the rafters, Shiro lowered his bow and considered his next move.

Only instinct allowed him to avoid the steel rushing silently at his back. He dove from the rafter, for a moment suspended above the monsters before his hookshot dug into another point and pulled him back up. As soon as he landed he turned with his sword ready, but no attack was forthcoming. Instead, the Boss Garo watched him from across the room, lightly standing on the opposite rafter.

Drawing his bow would take too much time, he realized. Instead he jumped to a nearby ledge and began making his way around the chamber toward where his opponent waited. It began moving toward him as well, though it was already slashing. Shiro blinked in surprise for a moment, but they were already upon one another and it was too late. Swords clashed multiple times as they passed, neither managing to score a blow on the other.

Suddenly he was in midair and he realized what the other had done. The rafters in front of him were all cut, falling apart even as he moved to land on him. Below, the monsters were all waiting for him. So that was its game.

Again his hookshot struck into the nearest point. As it pulled him up, however, the Boss Garo leapt, intercepting him with its sword flashing. The most he could do was defend against the blow, which dislodged the point of his hookshot and knocked him into open space. Fortunately, the force of the impact propelled him to another corner of the room, so he grabbed the nearest rafter and flipped himself up.

Another side of the room was mostly destroyed by this point, however. The Boss Garo began to move, intending to destroy more footholds. That couldn't be allowed if he intended to stretch this part of the fight any further. Jumping from his rafter, he moved on a course to prevent as much damage as possible.

Someone was standing on the rafter in front of him, another Garo melting from the shadows. Shiro immediately attacked, slashing through the body and sending it dropping to the ground. But the instant his feet touched the rafter he realized the true intent of the attack. Unfortunately, it was too late and because he was off-balance he couldn't fire his hookshot. No choice but to create the safest landing possible.

Before he touched the ground something streaked through the air, hitting him in the chest. The bird-like monster's sharp beak struck his heart and propelled him in a horizontal line until his back smashed into the wall. It flew away as he dropped and the monsters began to laugh or roar.

Shiro's feet hit the ground and he remained standing. Wincing, he rubbed the hard plate over his chest and knew a bruise was already forming. Seeing him alive, the monsters were approaching from all sides. Above, his rafters had almost certainly been removed. In that case, his only choice was to head down.

* * *

As they moved along the corridor, she moved closer and lightly brushed his arm. Had it been anyone else, his body would have moved on its own, drawing his sword and slashing through them. But because it was Din, Vincent only glanced over at her with a curious expression.

"We have a problem up ahead," she whispered to him. "There is at least one person hiding, but the wind feels wrong. It's violent, like a cyclone is about to be created."

"I should have known better than to expect there would be no one else to stop us," he sighed. "Plus I have a bad feeling I know who it could be."

"Secrets don't make friends, you know." Hero somehow managed to fold his arms and make a pouting expression while running beside them. Vincent gave him a narrow glance but explained quickly.

"There are enemies ahead and Din senses some kind of whirlwind."

"Um… alright?"

"Who do you suspect?" Din asked softly, glancing over at him. There were already currents of air running over her body and her eyes were glowing amber. He glanced back at her, answering while moving his right hand to grasp his sword sheath.

"Tornados are created when opposite temperatures clash."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hero asked, but Din interrupted him with the answer before he could finish his sentence.

"Fire and ice…"

Then he could feel the disturbance as well, powerful magical forces swirling around one another and creating fierce winds. Most of them flowed off his body thanks to Din's influence, but Hero was slowed considerably as the air made his tunic slap sharply. These effects intensified until they arrived in a larger room.

"Damn, you caught up." Kotake was standing on the left side of the staircase, his arms folded irritably. Both his hands, barely visible, burned with flames. On the right side was Koume, watching them through her hair with eyes as cold as always. Though their magic was invisible, it could be felt as the poles drove the air in the chamber around them. "But I guess I've been wanting a rematch with you anyway."

"What do you say, two on two?" Koume asked. Hero immediately bristled.

"Wait, what about me?"

"The dead don't count." Quite suddenly Kotake was across the room, his hand almost grasping Hero's face. As magic surged down his arm, Vincent struck, his sword moving like lightening. Realizing the attack at the last second, the Geurdo mage threw himself backward in midair and only narrowly avoided the strike as flames burst from his hand, scorching the stones above Hero's head.

While this happened Koume levitated into the air, launching shards of ice to defend her brother. They were swept aside by a new air current as Din made a sweeping gesture with one hand. Also in midair and now at a safe distance, Kotake hissed and began to charge for another attack.

"I've had enough of you people!" Hero cried, drawing his sword. "I'll teach you a thing or two!" With that he charged directly into a hail of flaming stones. But to the surprise of the twins, he knocked them aside with his whirling blade and was suddenly upon them. They both merely glided out of the way and let him crash into the wall, but his swings were far too close for comfort.

Meanwhile, Vincent crouched next to his wife and raised an eyebrow. "Should we go up or stay?"

"Even if we went, how much time would he buy us?" Din pointed out. Her husband nodded and sighed, getting to his feet and returning his sword to its sheath.

"You're right. We'll just have to hope there's nothing too dangerous before the Shard."

A large spike of ice was forming behind Hero's back, building as drops of water dripped to the front and hardened in a razor-sharp edge. While he hacked ineffectually at a serpent of flame, it began to fall. Just as Koume gestured to make it cut into his back, Vincent flashed into her field of vision, his sword coming from its sheath at full speed. The icicle shattered to the ground and he finished his motion by kicking the pieces toward them. Both dissipated in Kotake's flame, leaving them blind for a moment.

In the free second, Vincent almost threw Hero toward the door. Seconds later, magic bolts burst at him. He met them with his sword, but the force drove him to the ground. As the twins moved to continue their attacks, however, the winds in the room shifted dangerously. They were thrown against each other and they dropped to the ground, barely catching themselves. When the Geurdo twins recovered, Vincent and Din were blocking the way up the stairs.

"What do you say, two on two?"

- - - - -

If it isn't obvious, the story is heading into its final arc. This chapter sets up about half of the events, so expect to see Cid and some of the others next chapter.


	25. A Time for Despair

It was unusually quiet inside the temple. Link knew there was a battle going on outside and there were soldiers and monsters killing and dying, but somehow none of that penetrated the temple walls. All of the doors to other worlds were closed and motionless. Cid was leaning against the dais with his arms crossed, absolutely silent, so the only sounds came from Link's own movements.

For the sake of hearing something he scuffed one of his boots against the stones. They had been so white when they first entered the temple, yet now they had darkened with hundreds of footsteps. Would it soon be stained with blood as well? When they finally left the Sacred Realm, what would remain?

"Shouldn't we be out there?" he asked, a variation on a question he had asked several times before. Though Cid seemed mildly irritated, he repressed the feeling for whatever reason. Perhaps it was because he made allowances for the stresses of war. In any case, he merely shot Link a dark glance.

"Two people are not going to make much of a difference," he answered, "especially if there aren't any major monsters. Besides, this place is potentially the most important point in any of the worlds. Right now it may be an empty room, but all it takes is two Shards to make this the crux of everything. Magic quests like this have a bad way of trumping military power or strategy, so I'm not going to let that happen."

"I know," Link sighed, glancing toward the empty dais nervously. To think something so close could be so important… "It just feels like I'm sitting here doing nothing. Are you sure they'll be alright?"

"Nothing is sure in war. But Linkina has a good head on her shoulders and Vio's ability is damn useful. We've got a decent set of soldiers out there and the Links should be able to take care of any problematic opponents, so they should be able to drag things out quite a while."

"Drag things out? What do you mean?" In response Cid just gave him a disparaging glare, so Link wracked his brain to try and find out what mistake he was making. "Oh, are you saying the real outcome will be decided by other battles?"

"Bingo. The army is their distraction, so you can bet they won't let it distract themselves."

"But… wouldn't that mean their strongest fighters are elsewhere? Probably fighting against the other groups or coming here?"

Cid didn't answer for a while, twitching the stick in his mouth. When he finally did speak, he directed his words at the ceiling. "That's exactly what I'm saying. But you don't have any time to be worried about the others. All you need to concentrate on is whoever shows up here. If it's Knil, I leave that part to you. Anybody else, do what you can."

Nodding, Link remained silent for a few minutes, staring at the walls randomly. The passage had been closed to discourage any enemy forces that might break through. Most likely they couldn't figure out even the remaining lock, or at least not quickly enough for them to avoid being killed by Links. Given enough time they'd get through, of course, but Link realized that if that was the case everything was already lost.

What would he do if that happened? What would Cid do? He could imagine the man returning to his own world or another, vanishing in the many realities for the remainder of his life. There was no way he could do the same thing. It had been too long since he'd seen his family or friends. Plus the enemy would be after him, overwhelming forces seeking to end his life…

To push aside the thoughts he focused on Cid, who had gotten to his feet. Like he had done several times before, the older man took out the Shards and arranged them on the depression in the dais. With five they could be put together fairly well, some of the edges locking but others coming together only by logic. There were clearly two gaps, two remaining Shards until everything was over.

"It's kind of weird, isn't it?" He hadn't intended to speak aloud, but the words came anyway, forcing him to scramble to put together the rest of what he was going to say. Cid just watched him, as patient as before. "So much is riding on us; if we make a mistake everything could… end. All the rest of you have had the world on your shoulders in the past, but for me it's overwhelming…"

"Get over yourself. Sure, we might be pretty important right now, but we're a few people in the scope of history. Do you think that there's only one hero in every story? Most of the time there are a lot of guys who fail before one kills the monster. You just don't hear their stories. People act like if they lose it will be the end of everything, but that's just because they can't see far enough." Cid pulled the stick from his mouth roughly and glanced over at Link. "I'm being real encouraging, I know."

"Actually, that does kind of help," Link laughed awkwardly. "And all I can do is my best, right?"

"Right now your best is getting out of the way." Cid's tone had changed dramatically. Link's eyes snapped over to him, then followed the older man's gaze to one of the corridors.

A suit of black armor was standing in the center, looming even in the large corridor entrance. Though the suit covered the figure's entire body, from the form it was clearly not human. Each of the arms and legs was almost the size of Link's waist, muscle straining against the dark plates. Dalboss hefted his hammer onto one shoulder and stepped into the room.

"Evening," Cid greeted cordially, drawing his sword. "I suppose you're going to give us some crap along the lines of 'Make this easy on yourselves and give us the Shards?'"

"Why?" Dalboss rumbled. "I'd much rather just take them over your dead bodies."

"A man after my own heart. And what kind of man are you, anyway, beneath the mask? I rather suspect Goron, with a build like that. What's your story? Did a Link kick your pet rock when you were a child, scarring you for life?"

"Shut up!" Dalboss smashed his hammer into the ground, sending a shockwave up Link's legs.

"Oh, did I strike a nerve?"

"Do not belittle me with your idiocy!" Dalboss began moving, every footstep smashing through the ground. Before he got very far Cid leapt forward, sword swinging down. The first blow deflected off the hammer, which was on guard, but there were more coming. One caught between the plates of armor and when it scraped out there was blood along the end.

There was no indication the enormous warrior even noticed. Instead he brought down the hammer with startling speed. Cid simply wasn't where it hit, somehow a short distance away and striking at Dalboss's arm. His blow actually knocked the arm aside slightly.

With a quick smile Cid reached over his shoulder and slid out the blue rod. At the same time he raised his sword and struck with both at once – a second too late. The enormous hammer lifted off the ground and caught him in the stomach. Though the spikes didn't pierce his armor, the force of the blow lifted him off his feet and sent him crashing into the far wall of the chamber. His impact damaged the stones and then he dropped to the ground, slumped against the wall.

He just looked stunned, Link decided, so he would be back up relatively soon. Just stunned, he couldn't actually be injured. It didn't seem like Dalboss was going to finish him off either…

…and that moment was the first time that Link realized he was the only thing standing between the enemy and the Shards.

* * *

Standing at the top of the temple, Ulrira examined the battle below carefully, playing a slow melody in a minor key. It certainly didn't look good, not by any standards. In fact, all of it was almost too depressing, like a nightmare scenario that had been crafted only to bring about horror. But unless this was truly a nightmare, it was no story.

Something landed on the roof behind him and he turned sharply to catch a glimpse of the Lizafos. Steel was already flashing at him, and he could barely move away, his feet clinging to the edge of the building. The sword slash ripped through his harp, making a painful discordant noise before the pieces fell to the ground.

* * *

The battle had closed swiftly, soldiers meeting monsters in a flurry of blood and sparks. They were obviously well trained, but there seemed to be far more monsters than humans. Soon they were scattered in the battlefield, knights and Geurdo back to back against the looming tide. Several of Vio's bodies had been overwhelmed, trampled by the sheer weight. She hadn't seen him in some time.

Linkina bashed aside another Moblin, not bothering to kill it as she moved on. Things were worse than they had expected, much worse. Barely visible against the dark sky in the distance she could see much bigger monsters, terrible beasts she did not recognize. Just before them was a tide of obsidian, warriors moving slowly and unstoppably.

They could not be allowed to meet the soldiers. She could see them now, cutting their blades and bodies and ranks effortlessly, carving a path of death and destruction. Even if they could sustain a few losses, each man down was a son or husband or father. Unless she did something now, the sacrifice would be too great. Linking gripped her sword tighter and started forward, but almost instantly froze as she sensed someone.

Too late she turned and saw the Stalfos release the string. The bone arrow was already hurtling toward her face.

* * *

This time it was a Moblin, rushing at her with spear in hand. Had Nabooru been a second slower the thrust would have impaled her through the stomach. As it was, she spun parallel to the shaft, her scimitars flashing and decapitating the monster. It fell with a brief spurt of blood and the nearest others backed off, not wanting to be the next to die.

For the moment it took all she had to keep her weapons raised in their intimidating stance. One second slower and she would be dead. That second was a moment of distraction, a slight muscle cramp, a sluggish movement. In the past she had known despair under the rule of Ganon, but never quite like this. Surely many of the warriors she had killed, backed by a vast army of evil creatures, must have felt this same hopelessness as their companions fell around them.

Something moved toward her back and she did not have the strength to turn. Her body could have made the movement, skewering whatever was attacking, but she could not will it to use the strength it had left. Before it struck, a broadsword swung from the side, biting into the monster's hide and knocking it to the ground. Jolted from her fatalism, Nabooru turned and stabbed the small beast through the heart to make sure it could not rise again.

She had been saved by a man in armor, one of the knights that came from Cid's world. He seemed to be an average warrior, better then the mindless monsters but succumbing to attrition just as she was. All of them reminded her of Cid in some strange way. The half-dead look in his eye seemed very fitting for their current battle. It seemed that men could be worth as much as a Geurdo warrior, but this knowledge would do her very little good now.

Between them the ground suddenly burst apart, a monstrous plant erupting from the soil and actually knocking Nabooru from her feet. The knight panicked and attempted to strike, but as it thrashed it knocked him away. Lurching around on the thick twisted stem, the plant began splitting, the flower becoming a terrible maw that bent toward the fallen Geurdo.

* * *

He was at the top of the stairs already, throwing aside the door triumphantly. It glided away in an irritating fashion instead of slamming, but at this point he was too elated to care. Striding into the room at the top of the tower, Hero put his hands on his hips and grinned. Victory!

It was a small circular room, rather unimpressive. The same creepy walls as the rest of the temple, of course, but by this point that wouldn't bother him. What really mattered was that a Shard was floating at the center of the chamber, suspended in a soft beam of light. All he had to do was walk up and grab it and he would have completed the mission. Then he could run back down and save all the others and they'd carry him back into the camp as the real hero.

That almost seemed too easy, actually. Stepping forward cautiously, Hero took a better look at the room. Was there another reflection in the walls? Was that… a woman? Zelda? He whirled to look behind him, but the corridor was empty. Giving a sigh, he turned back.

Someone was standing in front of him. It was Zelda's body, that he was immediately sure of, but it seemed to be formed from the same marble as the rest of the castle. While he stared it beckoned for him to come closer and tilted her face invitingly. Well, it wasn't the real Zelda, but he would take what he could get. Stepping forward, Hero kissed the stone lips.

Cold. Very cold. The chill seemed to seep into his body from her lips and infuse him. He staggered backward and hit the door, which had somehow closed behind him. As he slid toward the ground, his eyes began to drop closed and the mirror began closing in.

* * *

Several bodies went down in bloody heaps, blocking the doorway. Unfortunately, the first monster on the other side was a small creature in a blue robe, fire shooting from its hands. Shiro leapt back as quickly as possible, crossing the room so hard he hit his back on the opposite wall. Sliding down the stone, he managed to land on his feet. He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and watched the monsters make their way inside.

This room was a dead end, he realized. So far his progress toward the Shard had been very steady, but here on the bottom level things had become more difficult. There were stronger and more numerous monsters, which slowed the process. Somehow he had come here, in a less than ideal situation.

A large Moblin was inching toward him, wary but confident. He ignored it, feeling his pouch with his free hand. There were fewer bottles of potion there than he would have liked. Would it be better to try to conserve his strength, or in the end would he be better served by intentionally taking some damage and rampaging his way through this mob? After all, he only needed a few seconds with the Shard to be able to send it to the others. Once he had done that nothing else mattered.

Just as he was about to flick one of the bottles up to his mouth, clammy fingers grabbed his shoulders. He could see the mottled brown arms, skin barely clinging to bones, gripping him for only a few seconds before his sight began to blur. As his life was drained away he dropped to his knees, hands falling loosely to his sides.

* * *

Fire and ice raged together, creating a vortex within the chamber. For several seconds the fierce winds beat against Din and Vincent, then they were swept from their feet, smashing into opposite walls. Vincent barely landed on his feet and his wife crumpled to the ground. In the center, Koume and Kotake laughed in unison, the sounds blending perfectly.

Din struggled to pull herself up with her elbows. Before she could rise far, Kotake's foot caught her in the chest and knocked her up against the wall. She cried out in pain and he struck forward, flames surrounding his fist. Just before it struck Din knocked his fist aside, chilling air driving him back.

Across the room, Vincent struggled against icy winds. Abruptly he lunged forward, sword drawing a line of blood through Koume's shoulder. She shrieked in pain, power exploding around her. The wind become stronger but he leapt aside… only to find that he was stuck. Ice was climbing up his legs, freezing around its body as it went. Before his arm completely lost the ability to move he hurled his sword. Koume barely ducked aside, letting it fly across the room uselessly while her opponent froze solid.

Flames descended upon Din from every side, forming a burning globe that pressed in with immense force. Winds slashed around her in a smaller sphere, keeping the fire at bay. Within the vortex, however, Din seemed to be barely on her feet, sweat running down her face and her eyes struggling to remain open.

Quite suddenly the winds burst out, vanquishing the flame and disappearing entirely. Koume raised an eyebrow at Din's body, which stood motionless, standing but slumped. Then with a grin he created another flame.

* * *

The attacks from the blade came one after another, a pale river pressing him back. Ganondorf grunted with each of the stronger blows, wincing as the shock moved down his arms. With the sword he could keep Light at bay, but there was no way he could do more than parry the oncoming blows. Even though the sword was not heavy in his hands, he couldn't move it as fast as he could his fists. Attrition was slowly wearing him down.

He was certain that this barely bothered Light. The other man had a smile on his face, a peaceful innocence that was all the more terrible. Only his eyes, flickering with the flashing of the swords, betrayed his cruelty.

A chance. Bringing the sword over his head, Ganondorf brought it down with every ounce of strength in his body. Even if Light dodged to the side, the movement would make him vulnerable for a kick. Once he passed the horizontal position he intended to release the sword and attack directly in any case. As if mildly surprised, Light looked up at the large blade bearing down on his head.

Then he stepped back and slashed. His sword hit Ganondorf's weapon directly, glowing as it shattered the tip. Light split Ganondorf's blade in two, a sword swing that seemed to tear the air itself. The broken hilt fell from Ganondorf's hands as blood began gushing from them. It hit the floor and made a hollow sound before coming to rest.

* * *

Link trembled as the giant approached, footsteps sending tremors through the floor. The hammer was back on Dalboss's shoulder, now that it had done its work on Cid. He had fallen on the opposite side of the chamber, just beneath the hole in the wall he had created when hitting it. Even if he was alive, he would not be moving soon.

What was he supposed to do? Like so many times before, the opponent was beyond him. But this time, there was no one else. The only warriors in the chamber were him and the hulking Goron that was approaching. He was all that stood between the enemy and the dais at his back. On it the Shards sat darkly, forming their pathetically incomplete triangle. Could he turn, grab them and run? Even if he could only take one or two, that would be enough to stop their plan…

No. Dalboss would lunge forward and be on him in an instant. Even if he got away, that hammer could probably be thrown. Even if he escaped into the hallway, he would only be heading straight into the thick of battle, where hundreds of monsters would kill him for the Shards. Standing here was his only option.

He gave a loud cry and charged, blade sweeping low in preparation for a slash. Dalboss cuffed him on the side of the hand, sending him sprawling ingloriously. Then the dark armor reached the dais. As the feet finally stopped, for a moment the chamber was still, the floor no longer shaking as one enormous hand reached down and scooped up the Shards.

* * *

It was a desolate plane, black rock and black soil stretching as far as the eye could see. Mists drifted in the distance, making everything into a dead haze. For brief moments it would curl around shattered rocks or scorched remnants of trees before rolling on in the endless abyss. There was no sun in the sky, only dark clouds that hung as if they would soon fall and smother everything.

Three points of gold shone brilliantly in the gloom. They were small in the immense darkness but intense, keeping away the shadows that shifted around them. All three Goddesses faced one another in a triangle, heads tilted forward and eyes closed. Between them a spark of pure light glittered, slowly growing.

At their feet the land was beginning to become lighter, the darkness seeping out of the soil and becoming a rich earthy color. Grass was beginning to break through it at places, imperceptibly increasing in size. Flower petals slowly formed and opened, soft yellow and red, their color marring the landscape. The process continued inexorably.

Then a shaft of radiance pierced everything. The Goddesses opened their eyes to look, finding a doorway of light etched into the air. A man was silhouetted in it, his cloak shifting slowly around him. They turned to face him, eyes meeting his. For a long moment he merely watched, then he shifted.

Altair stepped into the darkness.

- - - - -

You could say that I wrote the entire story for the sake of this cliffhanger. Or cluster cliffhanger, if you prefer.

I also apologize that these updates have become sporadic. I'll make an effort to keep them somewhat consistent - I assume no one really cares if they aren't always on Friday.


	26. The End Foreordained from the Beginning

Chapter 25: The End Foreordained from the Beginning

It was not a long pause. Instead, the world itself was completely silent and the words that were spoken were merely a long noise. Shadows continued to play over the black soil as the three Goddesses stared at the new arrival. Altair walked toward them several paces before the door vanished behind him and he stopped. His eyes met theirs without blinking or shifting, his entire body motionless but for the slow blowing of his clothes in the wind.

"What are you doing here?" one of the Goddesses demanded.

There was no answer, just the pale eyes watching from over the dark cloth.

"You would have been better off fighting alongside your fellow heroes than here. Be gone! Return to your own world." Yellow light shifted around him for a moment but then faded without a trace. One of the golden faces winced visibly, turning sharply to stare at Altair.

"How can you resist?" one of them demanded. "Are you not a Link? Is your world destroyed? Or…" Her voice faltered and her sentence was caught and finished by the dark man.

"Or this could be my world." Altair might have been smiling, but the Goddesses were grateful they could not see his mouth. "I will go nowhere unless I wish it, regardless of your words. But even if your magic could effect me, it would only have sent me back here."

"Then you're the one!" A golden arm rose, shimmering slightly as it jabbed accusingly in his direction. "I thought that there was a disturbance, someone opposing our plans. You will suffer for your impudence."

He apparently felt no need to answer, for he remained silent until another of the Goddesses spoke. "Does this world look familiar? It is yours, after all. The first world, the first Hyrule, the first legend. As this mockery of a universe falls away the original world will be reborn."

"Perhaps." Altair looked down at the flowers around their feet dispassionately. "What do you know of the world before the legend began?"

"Does it matter? We know the truth. Through years of studying the legend we learned that reality was not always built this way. Destiny, fate, heroes… all of these are abominations that you created!"

"No, not created. I am fascinated that so many dimensions have shaped themselves in this pattern. It is, in some ways, a beautiful thing."

One of the Goddesses spat, a golden spark that sizzled when it hit the ground. The soil began softening where it struck and within several seconds grass was beginning to peek through the soil. "Beautiful? All of this is a hideous accretion to the truth. Soon all of it will be cleansed by divine fire and the world will become pure once more."

"Don't you realize it is too late?" another of the Goddesses sneered. "Unless you are foolish enough to fight us directly, we will soon restore your world to the height of its civilization. Then once the Shards are united, everything will be rewritten in its image. The remnants of the old order are falling one by one and your pawns can do nothing to turn the tide!"

"…a metaphor from Hylian chess," Altair mused softly. "Somewhat fitting. However, it has a serious flaw. Though I may have set up my side of the board, I have absolutely no interest in pawns."

* * *

The pieces of the harp hit the stones, bouncing several times before coming to rest. Ulrira watched them with an odd expression on his face. Even as the attacking Lizafos moved forward he did not look up from the shattered remains of the instrument. The Lizafos moved into range and raised its jagged sword, a hissing laugh coming from between its teeth.

"That's the last song you will ever play!" it mocked. Ulrira looked up at the monster as if seeing it for the first time.

"No, I will play again once I have created another harp."

"Hah!" The blade jerked just against his neck. With a twist of its muscles the Lizafos could decapitate this foolish Link. Teeth appeared as its mouth split wider in a grin. "Just when will you have time to do that?"

"After I kill you."

Suddenly the Lizafos no longer had an arm. The limb dropped to the stones after the harp as Ulrira moved his sword to a normal stance. All the monster in front of him could do was make a panicked cry before another attack dropped it to the ground in pieces, staining the white stones of the building.

Whistling a low tune, Ulrira turned and stepped off the side of the building.

* * *

As one, the Goddesses shivered, as if there was a discordant note in the middle of a song. Immediately they glanced at one another, for the first time less concerned about the stranger in front of them than what was taking place on the Sacred Realm. Only a single disturbance, but…

"He should have died," one of them growled.

"This is insignificant. The battle will not be won and he will yet die."

"But what if-"

"Enough!" The head Goddess threw her arms to either side, silencing the other two. After a moment she turned and glared back at Altair, eyes flashing brilliantly. "Is this your game? Do you think that you have arranged things so that you will be victorious? Can you truly believe that your legend can defeat the true nature of reality?"

"You understand nothing," Altair answered simply. "You speak of truth without having the slightest idea of what the word means. Enough of this, children. No matter what battles you act out with your toys, you will change nothing."

They opened their mouths to speak, but the very concept of words had been stolen from them. As they stood mute he continued in a calm and even tone. "Restore my world, if you desire. It will only age again, dying as all things must die. The Shards will be reunited, but not by you. All I need do is stand and watch your plans crumble around you."

"Silence!" one of them finally screamed, stepping forward. Golden energy blazed around the three, lighting up the sky momentarily. Around them, the grass was beginning to grow faster, the world drawing breath for the first time in eons. "The legend has no power here! All of the Links will be killed one by one and it will be ended!"

"This has nothing to do with the legend." Altair spoke softly but his words cut off her shouts without effort. "Do you think they have worth only as heroes? Separated from destiny, from legend, they become human beings. The fact that you think this makes them weak shows that you understand absolutely nothing about what you are trying to accomplish. It is not the legend that will defeat you but something you seem unable to understand.

"Why do all fools run after the past? You have lived and breathed this legend since the day you were born, yet you think you understand life without it? Let me tell you the nature of the world before. It was a senseless, meaningless mechanism. All lived and died without purpose or meaning. There were no stories of heroes, only of dead men and senseless causes. Yet it seems the world has changed. I will not allow you to change it back."

"You… you think you can stand up against the Goddesses themselves?"

"Why do you call yourselves that?"

The three took a step back in unison, fear flashing through the golden eyes. For just a moment as he spoke, they no longer saw themselves surrounded by divine magic but instead fragile humans alone in the shadows. When their power roared around them the next instant, stronger than ever before, it was a hollow gesture.

"The Goddesses represent the old order," one of them answered. "They should be worshipped, not heroes or legends. We believe they look favorably upon our efforts to return everything to its rightful place, to restore their creation to as it should be. Whatever power you may possess, you are only a man – you cannot battle the servants of the Gods!"

Altair gave a short laugh, a bitter sound that rang across the landscape. Grass halted its growth, flowers closed, and the Goddesses shuddered. Around them, everything was becoming lighter and yet they could not see it. Soft clouds floated in the sky as it became blue once more and the sun rose, but to them it seemed to be darker and darker. Finally Altair glanced back at them, utterly without expression.

"It would not matter if you were the Goddesses themselves."

Then the sky fell and all was consumed.

* * *

Linkina's hair whirled loosely as she turned to see the arrow. It was no more than a streak of grey, flying across the battlefield toward her face. The jagged tip careened toward her forehead… and stopped a short distance away. Danger momentarily averted, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Tightening her hand, she snapped the arrow in half. Not far away, the Stalfos panicked and fumbled with its bow, trying to fire another arrow. Surely she couldn't catch two in a row. As it finally notched the arrow and prepared to attack, the skeletal warrior realized that wasn't likely to be the problem.

Her sword cut through the spinal column and then shifted down. The bones scattered as the magical creature died, bouncing on the soil. Returning her sword to a defensive position, Linkina took one hand off the hilt to run through her hair. That had been a bit too close for comfort. Still, the close call had jarred her from her depression and she was feeling much better now.

As she glanced around the battlefield, everything seemed much different. Had there really been more obsidian warriors there, or had she imagined them in the shadows? There were a number of big monsters, but she had grossly overestimated them. Everything had felt so hopeless one moment, but somehow everything had changed. What could have happened to so radically change the course of events?

Not that it mattered right now. She grinned and hefted her sword to one shoulder as she glanced toward the battle. Who was next?

* * *

The gaping jaws of the carnivorous plant bent closer and closer to Nabooru, then abruptly fell forward. She almost screamed, biting her lip hard so she would die with her pride. Several seconds later as she tasted a bit of blood she realized that it had not ended. Plant juices soaked her arm and the monster on top of it did not seem to be moving.

A boot appeared in her vision, kicking the carcass aside and giving her a glimpse of her savior. It was a man like many of the others, though he wore a red tunic. As she stared he offered her a hand up that she numbly accepted. Not far away, there was an identical man, even among Links, lifting the knight to his feet. Both of them extended their hands in the same way, moved with the same style.

Without warning an enormous Moblin lunged toward them, a giant club over its head and swinging down. She called out a warning, but the man didn't even glance over his shoulder. Before he was hit, another identical warrior flashed from the side, stabbing the Moblin in the heart and knocking it away with a kick. As this one dropped to the ground as well, she saw he was dressed in lavender. All three looked over at the two frozen warriors with identical smirks.

"Oh, come on, you've probably seen stranger things today," Vio told them. "Let's get back to the fight."

* * *

No… it couldn't end this way.

Hero's vision was getting blurrier as he sank to the floor, but abruptly one form became sharp and clear. Zelda. He couldn't die until he got a kiss from her and she finally acknowledged him. This stupid palace and this stupid copy couldn't stop him. The marble visage raised an eyebrow as he struggled back to his feet, glaring and apparently speaking to himself.

It was standing in the way of the Shard. All he had to do was get it and then Zelda would love him. His mind couldn't remember why or how that worked, but that fact was fixed in his mind. Fake Zelda needed to get out of the way for the real one. The flat of his blade struck the marble across the face, barely making it move.

"Oh, Link…" Her voice, as if she was standing in front of him? Was she? No, no it was just this stupid statue version. Its kiss had felt cold and made him feel so funny in the head. "Why would you do that? It hurts…"

"Yer not the real Zelda," he slurred, stumbling forward. He couldn't see it, but it was still there. Little black thing. Important for some reason. Had to get. Kisses from Zelda. Not this Zelda. Different one.

"Please, hero," the voice begged. "Don't do this to me. Go to sleep and we can be together forever. If you keep going forward, you're going to cause me a lot of problems."

He staggered forward another step, muttering beneath his breath.

"What was that? Won't you please stop? You're being so mean."

"_Well, excuuuuuuuuuuse me, Princess!_" Hero lunged forward, blade flying in a singing arc. For a second the marble statue was in two separate halves, one sliding toward the floor, then all of it shattered into triangular reflective shards. They glittered in the air for some time, distracting him, but eventually they drifted down and merged into the floor.

As his hand closed over the Shard, he realized that he was feeling a lot better. Had he been eating enough lately? Probably just lovesickness or something, given how long it had been since he'd seen Zelda. Hero pocketed the Shard and headed back toward the stairs. A few kisses would solve that problem easily enough.

* * *

For a few seconds Shiro's fingers jerked uselessly as the life continued to pump from his body into the monster grabbing him from behind. His sword fell from his hands and clattered to the floor as his arm dropped. Midway down it spasmed randomly and apparently got caught in a pocket on the front of his tunic. The next second it fell out… but it was holding a strange blue mask that seemed to absorb the light. Realizing something was amiss, the monster grabbed his arm to destroy it, but now the man's limbs seemed filled with inexhaustible power. They moved upward slowly and then pressed the mask to his face.

Power exploded throughout his body. He abruptly arched his back and gave a loud cry as magic lit up, making his body almost translucent. Thrown from his back, the monster was ripped in half and burned as it hit the ground. The others in the doorway paused, watching carefully. Now their target was just standing, arms at his sides and strangely shadowed.

Finally the robed creature threw up its hands, sending a ball of magic flying to finish off their opponent. Just before the attack hit, the figure's hand rose and calmly caught it. When Shiro raised his face, it was covered in strange markings and his eyes were a murky silver. They fixed on the burning globe without apparent interest, then looked up. Strangely lit from the sphere of magic, the grin on his face was all the more terrible.

One second the orb crackled with dark power, then it was hurled from his hand. The attack hit the robed creature head on, taking it from its feet and wiping out the body before it could fly far through the air. All of the others looked in horror as Shiro held out his hand horizontally. His sword lifted off the floor to meet it, now over twice as long and shaped as a double-helix.

"Hello, little monsters." His voice had changed as well, deep and menacing. "Would you prefer to die while running away or where you stand?"

In an instant he swung and a swath of light exploded from the sword, cutting the nearest group of monsters in half. The others decided to take the first option, fleeing back into the hallway as the figure moved after them, cutting them down one by one.

* * *

There was silence in the Shard room, but the Boss Garo sensed that something was amiss. Once the fortress was filled with life energy signatures. True, they were mostly weak and undeveloped, but they had not been disappearing at this fast a rate before. Had the Link found a way to trap many of them at once?

No matter. To acquire the Shard he would have to come here. Eighteen Garo, all the survivors, lurked in the shadows by the entrance and around the room. As soon as his foot left the bottom step they would be on him, skewering him from a dozen directions. Even if he avoided them, others would be dropping from the shadows before he could move again. Lastly the Boss himself stood between any intruders and the golden glow surrounding the Shard.

An explosion of magic rocked the chamber, making several of the Garo wince. Their leader only narrowed his eyes and whirled toward the source behind them. The entire wall had been demolished by black flames, some of it apparently still burning and melting. On the other side of the fires, barely more than a burning grin in the darkness, was a god of destruction.

* * *

Each droplet of blood spattered as it hit the floor, marring the reflective quality of the surface. Ganondorf could only stare at his strange alter ego in the floor, gaping in shock as the blood moved from his hands. Standing just in front of him, Light seemed energized by the sight, his grin expanding another notch. With a sharp laugh he pulled back and slashed again, this time breaking Ganondorf's armor and scoring a blow across his chest.

Was this it? His body felt numb, as if the life was draining from it. None of his limbs would respond, hanging uselessly at his sides. He couldn't look away from the sight before him, the figure in pure white slashing again. Blood struck his tunic and rolled off, leaving it as pure as before. Would that be the last thing he saw? Light slashing endlessly, reducing his torso to bloody ribbons?

Suddenly Light's string of attacks was stopped as Ganondorf's fist slammed into his face. He flew backward, slamming into the ground and rolling several times before he recovered. Growling more in anger than in pain, Light got back to his feet, his sword ready.

Across the room, Ganondorf had ripped two strips from the end of his cloak. He tied the cloths around his hands and pulled them tight. The blood soaking into the fabric could barely be seen in the black. Both his hands bound several times over, Ganondorf dropped to a fighting position, his fingers free and his arms loosely before him.

"Much better than I expected," Light admitted, flicking his sword in front of him several times. "Perhaps I should take this more seriously?"

Without warning he launched himself off his back foot, becoming a blur that would cross the distance in an instant. But a split second later Ganondorf moved as well, in front of Light before he could bring his sword to bear. One of the Geurdo's hands smashed him across the side of the face, knocking him away.

Before he hit the floor, Light caught himself with his free arm and pushed himself back, kicking Ganondorf in the chest. A moment later he realized his mistake, as the other man only grunted briefly and then struck back, lashing out with one leg. The kick sent him across the chamber again, where he sent cracks through the wall.

"Well, well." This time Light's tone was different as he pulled himself aright. "I dare say you're more dangerous without a weapon than with your sword. Been training since last time?"

"A weapon can be taken away," Ganondorf answered darkly. "I will not make the same mistake again."

"So that's why." The face split in a grin once more. "Do you know how many Geurdo I killed with your sword after I took it from you? I lost count, of course, but it was quite a while before it finally snapped on someone's skull. There's not a way I can do that with a hand to hand fighter… unless you'd like me to cut off an arm and beat people with it?"

A cry of anguish and rage tore from Ganondorf's lungs and scarlet magic flooded around his body. Several bolts shot forward, all of which Light batted aside easily. This one was keeping his head about him this time, though, so this was only a smokescreen. At this moment he was probably beside him, preparing another punch.

Light turned, sword already flying before he saw Ganondorf. Perfect. The edge of his sword would cleave between the Geurdo's knuckles and render that hand useless. But just before the attack struck, the hand jerked away, abandoning its attack. So he was retreating this time…

Ganondorf's other arm swung up, fist connecting with Light's chin. He was launched into the air and Ganondorf immediately kicked. His blow made a satisfying crunch and pinned his opponent against one of the marble walls. The white tunic had finally been dirtied from combat and the cap seemed about ready to fall from his head as he slumped.

Too late he realized there was a mad look on Light's face. With a momentary demonic grin, Light struck back, stabbing his sword through Ganondorf's shin. Roaring in pain, the Geurdo sent power flooding toward the floor, forcing himself away and letting the blade slide out of the hole it had created instead of being ripped out. Unfortunately, it was a desperation maneuver and he could only hit the ground, sliding a short distance before pulling himself back to his feet.

White blurred at his face and Light's boot hit his jaw with a crack. The force of the blow actually sent Ganondorf flipping backward to land on his back, but Light was already swinging his sword horizontally. It took everything he had to strike the flat of the blade with a backhand, knocking it off course. Somehow it worked, making the edge whiz past his body instead of into it…

…and that was all he had. Ganondorf fell freely and was immediately struck with another blow. This one smashed him backward. By some miracle he landed on his feet, but it was only to receive another glancing blow from Light. Again and again the pale blade struck, hacking away armor and sending more blood to stain the floor. All Ganondorf could do was receive the blows and be knocked backward, kept on his feet only by the impacts.

One white glove touched his chest lightly, but it brought a moment of intense pain. Ganondorf found himself embedded in the wall near the doorway, watching dully as Light closed the gap between them again. His sword was held in one hand at his sword, surrounding by a ring of brilliant white. As it grew in intensity, Light grasped the hilt with his other hand.

He struck, spinning brutally, each revolution cutting another gash in Ganondorf's chest. When the magical energy finally faded, there was no life left in the body. All of his upper armor had been shredded and lay in pieces in the surrounding area; his flesh was a gruesome mess. Light stepped back distastefully and let the corpse hit the ground, avoiding any blood spatter on his tunic.

Turning to go, he replaced his sword in his sheath. Quite an obstacle that had been, far more than expected. But only an obstacle.

- - - - -

I know it's common practice on this website not to update for months at a time, but I'm still ashamed that this update has taken so long. The fact that I can't even upload finished chapters says something about priorities in my life, so it is probably appropriate that this may be my last story here. While it's not like any of you are waiting for the next chapter with bated breath, forlornly staring at the screen while hitting F5 repeatedly, it's still not fair to you. We're nearing the end of the story and I'll do my best to update consistently through the last chapters.

Hopefully this chapter has enough content to be worth the wait, though. Altair has his anti-climax, Shiro's secret is finally revealed (this one could easily have been predicted), Ganondorf gets his fight, and (the moment you've all been waiting for)... Hero wins his final epic ultimate battle! Next chapter you'll get to see the conclusion to Din and Vincent against Koume and Kotake, Cid's plan will be revealed, and Link will begin the fight that you all should have seen coming for a while now.


	27. Final Moments

Chapter 26: Final Moments

Power raged down Kotake's arm, gaining strength until it reached his fist in a full inferno. Din would probably recover as soon as he attacked, but with magic of this magnitude it would hardly matter. One blow and this would be over.

One of her hands jerked to the side suddenly, though no attack was forthcoming. He narrowed his eyes and heard the sound of a something cutting through the air too late. As he turned a wall of fire came up in his defense, but he caught a glimpse of Vincent's sword in midair, caught in incredibly powerful winds. A moment later it pierced the flame barrier and almost impaled the Geurdo warrior through the heart.

Only a desperate leap at the last second saved him, but the blade still sliced through his shoulder. Before he landed Din sent another wave of elements at him. Though he managed to block, the force still drove him backward. Getting to his feet and nursing his injury, he glanced to see if his sister was in a position to assist him and froze.

"Koume, look out!" She saw his eyes focused behind her and turned her attack in that direction, but she was too slow. Vincent was breaking out of the ice, eyes almost glowing with power and so menacing for a second he did not appear human. Her shard of ice missed and he had grabbed her by the throat, tightening his grip.

With a choked scream Koume hit his arm with both hands at the same moment she threw herself back. His arm instantly froze in position and she managed to land on her feet and skid across the room. Kotake stepped near her and they moved back to back, watching their opponents carefully. Power built around them, again forming a whirlwind of opposite elements.

"You'll regret that," Kotake hissed. "Together, we're much more dangerous than alone."

Din didn't respond verbally or even look at him. Instead she tossed Vincent's sword back to him; it hit his frozen arm, which instantly began to melt. Before it could drop to the floor he reached down and grabbed the hilt, flipping it back to combat position. Koume grunted and increased the power of the ice around her, forcing Kotake to do the same. They could match these two, he was sure of it.

"Mission accomplished!" a voice suddenly crowed. The twins turned in shock to see Hero standing at the base of the stairs, grinning and holding up the Shard. "It required a truly heroic effort, but I prevailed and-"

Both Geurdo mages leapt in his direction, magic roared behind them so loudly it drowned out all possible sound. Before their attacks reached him, Vincent flashed past them both. He spun in midair, dealing two simultaneous kicks. One of these knocked Hero to the side, sending him sprawling to the floor. The twin's attack hit the wall with another deafening explosion, striking no one as Vincent dropped lightly to the side.

"What was that for?" Hero demanded, getting to his feet with a wounded look and wringing his hand. A moment later his eyes fell upon the stones where he had been standing and they shot open. It was utterly devastated, a wide area of the floor simply missing. Though the surface underneath appeared to be as reflective as the rest, for the moment it still glowed with an excess of magical energy.

"Just like a Link." Koume spat, blue eyes flashing. "When things get rough you win by quantity over quality."

"Really?" Vincent answered, one eyebrow rising. "In most worlds, I think it has been one Link against armies. Regardless, I think having Hero here might count as a handicap."

"Hey!" Hero drew his sword, apparently uncertain who to attack. "Come on, don't be such a jerk! Why are you talking to these guys, anyway, instead of fighting them? You're not the chatty type unless… oh." He cut off, but it was too late. Realizing what was amiss, Koume and Kotake whirled to look in the opposite direction. Din was kneeling on the ground, the Shard hovering between her raised hands.

That second they changed direction with a burst of magic and charged at her, attacks building. But even before that second had ended, Vincent was somehow in front of them, his blade flying from his sheath with unreal speed. His first strike slashed Koume across the stomach even though she attempted to dodge. Kotake saw the sword change directions almost without slowing, a silver arc slicing toward his neck.

Not enough. Even the slightest warning was enough for him to send a burst of flame at his feet, launching him above the slash and almost to the ceiling of the chamber. Vincent's eyes followed the move completely and he moved to jump after him, but several razor-sharp sheets of ice forced him to dodge backward and block instead.

Then the second of intense conflict was over and Kotake's mind caught up. He was suspended above Din, who still appeared engrossed in her spell. Somehow the flames in his hand had become enormous, fueled by the power in the previous engagement. Even as his mind pondered how the fireball would rip through her body, it was already leaving his fingers.

At the last second he thought he saw a blur of green, then the flame struck and the explosion blinded everyone temporarily. Kotake skidded backward through the air to a safe location, trying to keep a grip on his surroundings. In his caution, he realized later than everyone else that something was wrong.

Din was still on the floor, apparently in shock. Vincent was standing not far away, not having quite recovered from the turn of events as well. In front of Din was the body of Hero, his tunic and hair scorched almost black, but still on his feet. As they all watched he glanced back at them and gave a thumbs-up.

"Why did you do that?" Din asked. He shrugged and immediately winced, his body started to fall.

"That's… what… heroes do…" Hero collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Vincent took a step closer and glanced down at the body, then back to his wife.

"Did you manage to send it?"

"Yes, it's on its way to Cid by now." Din rose to her feet, biting her lip as she stared down at Hero. "I'm glad he's unconscious. I don't have the heart to tell him that what I meant was why he took the attack instead of deflecting it or pushing us both out of the way."

"Hey! Don't ignore us!" Kotake's eyes seemed to be literally on fire, nothing visible but burning red. At his side Koume was surrounded by swirling blades of ice. "This battle ends now!"

The other two turned to look at them calmly, then Din touched her palms together and Vincent shifted into his combat stance. "Right. There's no longer any reason to stall."

* * *

For several long seconds the low laughter rumbled throughout the chamber as Dalboss gazed at the Shards in his hand. They seemed so tiny, so insignificant. All this searching and combat for these. So many Links had fought and sacrificed, just to obtain the items that he now possessed. Only two more and everything would be ended.

His laugh cut off as he sensed power coursing behind him. The warrior turned, clenching the Shards in his fist and raising an enormous arm in his defense. A beam of blue magic was rushing at him and all he could do was defend. When it struck, his armor immediately froze, covered in a large layer of ice. Roaring, Dalboss searched for his assailant, smashing the ice apart with the shaft of his hammer.

It looked like the older one still had some life left in him. He was still lying back against the wall, his head down but one arm raised. In it was holding a thin blue rod, from which the magical attack had certainly come. Well, it would only take a blow from his hammer to end the rod and the user. As Dalboss turned to finish the battle, however, he hesitated. Barely audible chuckling was coming from the slumped man.

"Shut up!" he demanded, beginning to stomp forward to enforce his command. "The Shards are mine and I will soon take your life as well!"

Cid simply looked up, but it made the giant Goron hesitate in mid-step. The expression on his face was diabolical, a malevolent gleam in his eyes and a sardonic twist to his grin. With his opponent unmoving, Cid got to his feet leisurely. As he shifted to a fighting stance, it became more and more obvious that the damage to his armor was superficial.

Horror slowly creeping through his body, Dalboss looked to see if the Shards were still there. Through his armor he could not feel them, so it was possible they had been stolen or the magic had knocked them away. But when he opened his hand, he discovered the truth was far worse. Crumpled pieces of metal lay in his hand, black on the surface but ordinary steel beneath. Unbelieving, he looked back up at Cid, whose expression had not changed.

"What, you actually thought we'd be that stupid? That you could make us do the work and then just waltz in and take it? You have a lot to learn, kid."

"Shut up!" Dalboss repeated, lunging forward to bring his hammer down, to splatter the impudent Hylian's head against the wall. But before he moved to strike, the other man blurred for a second and then force exploded across his breastplate.

The blow did not break his armor, but it actually made the giant stumble. What? How could he have that much power? His shock did not stop him from striking back. Fueled by rage and raw combat instinct, the hammer came down with incredible speed. Of course, Cid had been expecting this and had moved to a different location.

Frost formed on the inside of the Goron's armor, and before he could move ice was already coating his visor and blocking his vision. Dalboss jerked his hammer out of the ground and sideways, aiming to sweep his opponent out of the way. Even a light blow should be able to crack a few ribs. Somehow, though, there was no opposition to his hammer. Was he in a different place? Could he have ducked or dodged back or… jumped?

Pain crashed through his head as the ice and his helm shattered, scattering themselves over the room. Most of its momentum gone, the sword only managed to make a small slice on the side of his head. But even that cut was enough to make his vision turn so red he almost could not see the fighter in the air in front of him.

With a roar Dalboss pulled one hand from his hammer and grabbed Cid before he could return to the ground. He squeezed the shoulder in his grip tightly at the same time as he slammed his opponent into the wall. Part of him sensed that the rod fell from the man's fingers as they spasmed in pain, but he was beyond caring. All he wanted to do was lift his hammer and bring it down on the face beneath him, over and over and over.

"This is the end!" he rumbled, the hammer in position to strike.

"Just of the first step."

Something was wrong. Dalboss realized it as he struck and the other man somehow twisted out of his grip, flipping into the air and overhead. In a single movement he was behind him, something in his hands… but it wouldn't matter. Pulling his hammer swing at the last possible second, Dalboss jerked it to the side, smashing it into Cid's chest just as he hit the ground. His opponent's tiny body went hurtling across the room, crashing against the opposite wall.

He grunted in satisfaction and hefted his hammer again. That probably wasn't enough to finish him off, but he had to be hurting. One more blow ought to do it. But as Dalboss stepped forward, his opponent rose, wiping blood away from his mouth. As his hand left it revealed a grin.

"Sure you want to be moving forward?"

"What do you-" Something caught Dalboss's eye and he glanced down. There was a bomb in front of him. It was much larger than usual, but only a bomb. All he needed to do was shield his face with one hand and it would be harmless. "You think one little bomb is going to hurt me?"

"Yeah, I think that one will."

From across the room at a safe distance, Link was still nearly blown off his feet by the force of the explosion. Small holes were singed in his tunic where the scorching fragments fell and for a moment his vision was a pained copy of the explosion in negative.

When he could see again, all there was to see was the aftermath. A massive hole had been ripped from the temple walls, showing empty sky on the other side. Dalboss had clearly been blown from the building, though he seemed to have kept his hammer. Cid was gone as well, in pursuit to finish the job. Not that Link believed it would be easy, but he had confidence that Cid had almost as many reserves as even the hulking Goron.

Smothering a few still burning embers from the insane bomb, Link began to walk across the chamber. The dais was still untouched, of course, with that same worn surface it had possessed when he had first seen it. As he moved closer, Link slowly reached his hand into his pouch.

* * *

Steam suddenly filled the room, hissing from the clash in the center. Kotake had no trouble dealing with the extreme heat, but it rendered him unable to see further ahead of him than he could reach. Normally when his power combined with his sister's the results were explosive, but this time the fire had merely melted the ice, leading to this situation. Had it been Din manipulating the elements somehow? Her magic was strange and unpredictable.

The slash almost took his head from his shoulders. His standard Geurdo training, which he'd always considered beneath him, served him yet again against Vincent. How could he see in all this steam? Before he struck again, Kotake got a glimpse of the man – his eyes were closed. Probably to protect them from the steam, but that was not a comforting thought.

In the steam he was a shadowy figure, his face emotionless and focused. Since the Shard had vanished his attacks had come relentlessly, faster and stronger than before. Though several bolts of fire had caught him in the chest, he seemed to ignore the scorched parts of his tunic and continued fighting without slowing.

This was becoming infuriating. Kotake clenched both his fists, making a globe of flame surround his entire body. As always, Vincent retreated and let him spend his magic, but in this case it was not wasted. The flames evaporated even the steam, which made him realize that was the perfect way to improve the situation.

While he gathered energy, he could vaguely see Vincent leaping away and striking at Koume. She seemed to be cut, but then she managed to avoid the next blow and Vincent stopped as ice built up on his body. It was all he could do to jerk away in time to avoid the tiny shards of ice that threatened to tear through his flesh.

Now. Kotake released his power and heat flooded the room, destroying the moisture in the air. Everything was clear once again. He already knew Vincent's location, but it had been too long since he had seen Din. Given enough time, she could prove quite…

He halted in surprise. She was standing not far from where she had been before the mist, but the energy floating between her palms was unlike anything he had seen before. The elements were too complex for him to properly understand, but definitely in the realm of seasons. It appeared soft amber, yet spoke of death and decay… autumn? Whatever it was, he could not allow it to be used.

When he launched himself across the room, it took more time than it had in the past. His spirit was growing tired faster than his body, having generated flames so many times. Still, he approached Din quickly enough to send a large burst of flame down at her. Surprisingly, it hit something and vanished, melting a wall of ice crystals too faint to see. But her shield was gone and his next attack would be more dangerous.

Abruptly Vincent was in the air in front of him, blade moving to deflect his attack. Since the beginning of the fight, however, he had been ready for this. Snakes of flame lashed out, wrapping around the other man's body and hurling him to the side. He crashed to the ground and was immediately frozen in a block of ice by Koume.

Crashing down on Din, Kotake had only enough magical power for a half-hearted attack that she managed to deflect. Abruptly he realized that the autumn sphere had left her hand, but it was too late to stop it, already streaking toward the distracted Koume. He wanted to yell, but his throat was too dry to do more than gasp.

She dodged to the side swiftly, the strange globe sweeping past her harmlessly. Excellent, the threat was neutralized – but no, she was falling to the ground, her eyes closing as if in sleep. As she fell, he became able to see Vincent standing behind her, only partially frozen in the block of ice. His sword as still raised and the upper half of it still glowed a disturbing amber color where the sphere had deflected off it.

"Then you fall as well!" Kotake roared, summoning a column of flames around himself. If his sister was taken out of commission, he would eliminate Vincent's partner. Alone, the fighter could never possibly match up to a mage.

His inferno pounding upon Din from every side, columns of flame lighting up beneath her feet and threatening to incinerate her. Winds slashed around her fiercely, beating back the flames, but the area surrounding her was growing smaller by the second. She would outlast his attack, but then she would be truly drained. Leaving the magic to finish its work, Kotake sent a whip of flame that prevented Vincent from finishing off Koume.

Then for a moment everything faded. Din had collapsed against the wall, hair plastered to her forehead and utterly exhausted. Vincent stood on guard at a safe distance, watching carefully. Kotake knelt beside his sister and coaxed her to a sitting position, though she did not respond. After several seconds, Din rose to her feet and he began to laugh.

"You're finished. I know your power is sapped, woman; you can't do anything more than parlor tricks now. I still have enough left to make you crispy."

"What about me?" Vincent asked, walking to stand in front of his wife. Kotake merely grinned broader.

"What you don't realize is how outclassed you are. My sister may be out of commission, but her magical power is still available through the bond we share. With our powers combined, we will become far more terrible than either of us alone. Together we become Twinrova, the most powerful spell caster the world has ever kn-"

Blood flew out of his mouth, cutting off the rest of the words. No – how? Din, still against the wall, gave a weary smile. The Vincent standing next to her dissolved into shimmering crystals that evaporated, but even the heat was dying. Slowly Kotake looked down at the blade protruding from his chest. Strange. It barely hurt at all…

Vincent jerked his sword out, letting the twins fall to the ground. He dealt another swift blow to Koume that received no response. Though he knew that he should ensure they were completely dead, all the strength had left his body. Or perhaps he merely didn't have the heart to do anything else to the corpses lying next to one another. Sheathing his sword, he stood for several seconds before falling back and landing on his back.

Across the room, Din managed to pull herself partially up and gave him a weary smile that he returned. But for the moment, that was all he could do. The battle was over and all he wanted to do was rest.

* * *

It was insane, a ridiculous idea that somehow had worked pretty well. Like most of what Cid planned. Not quite believing, Link reached into his pocket and touched the cold triangles. Taking out the five Shards, he gratefully put them onto the dais. They were small, yet somehow he felt much lighter with them off his person.

Now all he could do was wait, unfortunately. After several seconds he realized it was a bad idea to leave the Shards sitting there and reluctantly put them back in his pouch. It would suck if someone else showed up and actually did what Dalboss thought he had accomplished. If he screwed up in that way the others would never forgive him, presuming that any of them would live beyond that point.

Strange. So much fighting and scheming and yet now he was just sitting here. It was almost boring, just waiting for something to happen. Outside, he could hear the sounds of the battle, but there was nothing conclusive. In the middle of a fight, monsters and humans sounded remarkably the same. All of them were probably focused and completely in the moment, yet their world was alien to him. Leaning against the dais, he simply felt a bit tired and extremely dull.

At that moment a soft breeze flowed into the room. He jerked to his feet, looking down the hallways carefully. Was a door open? Could someone be coming? When he looked down the hallway with the false wall he saw the darkness beyond and shivered. It didn't look any different than before, but the sense of foreboding he got from the opening was far worse.

He turned away and at that moment he was struck by the sense of spring. There was no way he could explain it, but it was as if he was standing in a pleasant fields with flowers blooming and everything growing. The sun shone on his face for just a moment… and then a Shard appeared in midair before him.

When he caught it before it dropped, he was rather proud of himself. That must have been Din; they hadn't told him how they would send back the Shards, but such seasonal magic had to be from her. Had they beaten Shiro to the punch, then?

Link swallowed, considering what to do if Shiro failed. He would never know, of course, and simply keep waiting and hoping. But these six were just useless pieces of dark… something, unless they had the seventh. Right now they were begging to be stolen by someone. There were a lot of enemies they'd met that he knew he couldn't beat. Then again, excepting the random monsters, did he think he could really beat any of them? His only real hope was that all the Shards would be collected before anyone arrived.

His doubts grew until he realized that he had been listening to a strange melody for a short while. It didn't seem to be coming from anywhere, but it was becoming louder. Suddenly a sparkling trail of magic emerged from the ceiling and trailed down toward him. Raising his hand, Link caught it and was soon holding the last Shard.

Immediately he rushed to the dais, dropping all seven onto the surface and setting them into the triangular depression. He had never understood why in movies or books the heroes waited so long at the end and gave the villains a chance to come back. Not this time. Nothing ceremonious, nothing grand, he just wanted them put together and all of this ended.

After a minute he gave a harsh laugh and hit himself in the forehead. What was wrong with him? Somehow he couldn't even fit the Shards together into a coherent shape. He had six in the way he thought they were meant to go, but now the last one didn't fit the gap at all. Was this really the final problem all the Links would face? A seven piece puzzle? Recovering and growing calmer, he managed to figure out how it went.

Something whispered from the side, a ghostly sound sweeping closer at a terrible rate. Link tried to thrust the last piece in swiftly, but then he was struck from the side by a wave of energy. The piece fell from his hands and dropped on the dais while he was thrown back and crashed to the floor. Immediately he scrambled to get to his feet and pull his sword, but his actions died in mid-motion.

"You heroes tend to do a good job of succeeding at the last possible second." The voice was terribly familiar and he shuddered in recognition. Moving from one of the side corridors, Knil continued to walk forward, surely but slowly. At his side his sword was a stranger grey than before, almost seeming to shift in front of his eyes. "I will not allow it. This is the last possible second, and all of you are going to die."

- - - - -

The updates are counting down at this point. I don't have to be on-time for too many more.

This chapter finishes one of the longest battles of the story. In another two weeks you'll see Cid wrap things up in his own way, one other scene will occur that might have been too obvious, and Link will get his final battle against Knil. After that there's only the epilogue...


	28. Quest's End

Chapter 27: Quest's End

The rubble of the temple flew over the battlefield, the smaller fragments raining down even on the soldiers in the main body of the fight. Closer to the source of the incredible explosion, enormous pieces of the wall tumbled through the air, some still spinning while others plowed through the ground.

Dalboss fell among the massive stones, heavier than many of them. Though his eyes were in pain from the phenomenal explosion, it had only succeeded in cracking some of his armor. As soon as he hit the ground he would go back to the temple and crush that man as slowly and painfully as possible. This was probably his ace, but all it had done was buy him some time as the Goron was sent hurtling away.

His eyes widened in disbelief. The fool had followed him! Cid was running after him, sword in hand as if he intended to finish the battle. Did he really think his stamina and strength could stand up to a Goron in a direct fight? Even with his armor gone Dalboss knew he was more than a match for any puny Hylian.

Not that it would come to that. Dalboss pulled back his arm and flung his hammer with the strength of his entire arm. They never thought he would have a ranged attack, or could throw in midair. The weapon swung end over end, coming upon Cid in an instant. Running straight toward it, there was no way he could possibly avoid the attack. Even if the previous blow hadn't ended him, this one held at least twice the power.

All of that power smashed into a large piece of rubble that came flying over Cid's head, breaking it into dozens of smaller pieces. He simply dodged the small projectiles and continued following Dalboss. Such infuriating luck… but no. The look in his eyes – it wasn't possible! It couldn't be!  
When the Goron warrior smashed into the ground he plowed a furrow of earth and stone before coming to rest. So he had been separated from his weapon. No matter. He grunted and curled to pull himself back toward his feet. It would be more satisfying to crush that fool's head between his hands anyway. As soon as he got up, he would meet him on this battlefield and smash the life out of him.

But Dalboss did not get up. His entire body was frozen in the process of rising to his feet. All he could force to move were his eyes, which looked to the side and widened in horror. Standing at the edge of a small group of trees was a woman, a shaft of light lancing from her raised hands. Against it, he could not even flex his muscles to fight the magical force. This was absurd. After all the battles he fought, he would be rendered powerless by some aging woman?

A shadow fell over his face as Cid moved to stand before him. His smile was not comforting.

"You wouldn't dare," Dalboss breathed, barely managing to speak the words through stiff lips.

"I wouldn't? After going to all the effort of planting Zelda there and calculating ballistics and everything? It seems a bit of a waste, if you ask me."

"Have you no pride as a warrior?" Dalboss strained his mind against the bonds, realizing they could not hold him forever. Two seconds of freedom and his hands could be on his enemy's head, gouging out his eyes, smashing his skull. "How can you end a fight in such a cowardly fashion?"

"You know, you're right. I am a Link, after all, and it just seems more fitting that things end with a final one-on-one clash. I could let you go, clear an area, let us recover a bit, then we could have a climactic battle." One side of his mouth slid into a smirk and his eyes hardened. "Or I could stab you in the face."

Zelda averted her eyes at the distasteful scene as she approached. By the time she was standing not far away, Cid had finished and wiped off his sword. As always, the metal was glittering and sharp, as if it had not drunk fountains of blood. He returned it to his sheath and sat down on the body to catch his breath.

Around them, the sky seemed to be getting brighter, as if cracks were forming in the darkness overhead. The sounds of war were fading. Most of the monsters still able were fleeing; some of the warriors were chasing them but most were retreating carefully into small defensive groups. In some areas they were even beginning to treat the wounded. For whatever it was truly worth, this battle was a victory. After surveying the scene for a while, she glanced down and their gazes met.

"I forgot just how much of a bastard you were," Zelda observed. Cid grinned wryly.

"That means a lot coming from you, bitch."

At first she only smiled, a conflicted expression emerging from the controlled mask. Cid watched with his eyebrows raised until she finally laughed, more clearly than he had heard in years. Despite himself, he chuckled as well and joined her as she began to walk toward the main army. Life went on; there were things to do.

* * *

When Light's first foot hit the edge of the elevator, his face was still in a small grin. When his second touched, his expression became a dangerous blankness. Behind him he could hear a sound, something scraping across the floor. Had the last blow really not finished it?

On the opposite side of the room, Ganondorf was dragging himself to his feet. With a final jerk he straightened his back somewhat and nearly fell over backward. Somehow he maintained his balance and took a step forward. His eyes, barely able to see through heavy blood, weakly looked up toward the white tunic at the end of the hallway.

Sighing, Light turned and drew his sword again. Best to just decapitate the body this time. If this one was allowed to live again he would be a bigger pain than before. Even if becoming a god was easy, this fool would give a bad taste to everything. Soon he stood in front of Ganondorf, who continued to walk forward futilely, and calmly slashed his sword through the man's neck.

And yet it hit only air. Ganondorf swayed backward, a motion that could have almost been involuntary, then lunged forward as soon as the swing had passed. With surprising speed he landed a blow on Light's stomach, making him double up in pain. But since the larger man winced and staggered from his injuries, he was unable to follow up.

Not even bringing his sword to bear again, Light smashed his fist into Ganondorf's face. The Geurdo stumbled backward, making him a perfect target for the kick that knocked him flat on his back. Light moved after him with full speed, stabbing downward to ensure the battle couldn't drag on any longer. Somehow Ganondorf rolled to the side and his blade bit into the stone below instead.

Flailing on the ground, Ganondorf sent the sword skittering away and knocked Light back. Then he slowly and painfully got back to his feet. Though he bled from many wounds, he made no sounds of pain. In fact, he seemed surrounded by a terrible silence as he rose to his feet again.

"Enough!" Light dodged a clumsy attack and jabbed both hands into the injuries on Ganondorf's chest. The attack sent the Geurdo smashing into the wall and his face contorted in pain, but he still did not cry out. Nor did he fall, slumping but remaining on his feet and preparing to move forward again. Not all of the sweat on the side of Light's face was from physical exertion. "Why are you still fighting?"

"I only need… to give them more time…" Ganondorf rasped. At this Light threw back his head and laughed for several seconds. Abruptly he stopped and smashed his opponent across the face and then began brutally kicking him on the ground.

"Do you have any idea how pathetic you sound? You couldn't stop me from coming to power; you couldn't keep me from taking over the world… your goals just keep shrinking. Now you just give up on all your ideals and your revenge and can't even try to beat me?" He aimed a particularly savage kick at his head, sending Ganondorf sliding across the floor. "That's fitting, I suppose. In the end, you're insignificant. The others do all the work and you're helpless."

These words barely registered to Ganondorf, mind and body numb from the pain. Instead he could only see the fields burning, the fortresses littered with corpses, the monsters overwhelming the cities. His friends were cut down one by one and every bastion of good crumbled before the advancing pale tide.

Somehow it was all happening again. He was lying in his own blood and Light was walking away from the corpse. Through the vision of death and destruction he could see his legs as he moved away, back toward the elevator.

But he limped. Ganondorf blinked the blood away from his eyes, feeling his senses return. Agony shot through his body, but he didn't care. That white tunic was dirtied, his body was injured. Cid or Vincent could have seen that, would have been able to see past the madness and the continual fighting. Even if he died, he realized that he had injured the unstoppable Link… it wasn't hopeless. That flicker of hope could have been enough to let him die in peace.

* * *

For a long moment neither of them moved, Link and Knil staring at one another without budging or blinking. Eventually Knil began to walk forward, further into the chamber. Link edged to the side to face off with him, the dais in the background.

"Nothing to say?" Knil asked, face twisting dangerously. "This is going to be your last chance. You will be the first to fall, but all of you will perish."

"Shut up and fight," Link answered, drawing his sword in a swift motion. "None of that happened before, and you said all the same things last time."

"_This_ will be the last time." Knil's sword became a grey blur and a shockwave ripped through the chamber. It scattered off the wall in spiky waves, but Link was already running forward, alongside the dying grey flames. He was within range of his opponent before another grey burst could come, slashing with everything he had.

Lazily Knil brought up his sword to block, but when Link's slash struck the flat of his sword was pushed back to his chest. His eyes widened and he struck back, but Link was immediately dodging away, attacking from another angle. This time Knil used both hands and managed to hold back the sword. Though Link tried to push him off balance, he found that even his enhanced strength wasn't enough and ended up locked against the grey blade.

"You've gotten stronger," Knil acknowledged. His eyes flickered down to the bracers on his opponent's wrists. "But I doubt you'll be able to match me with those gone."

At that moment Link dropped to one knee, pulling back his sword. Knil's pressure immediately sent his blade lashing out in a grey swath, but it passed harmlessly over his opponent's head. From the ground, Link stabbed as quickly as he could make his body move. Swiftly realizing what he was doing, Knil jumped back and managed to reduce the wound to a glancing slash on his thigh.

Link rolled backward to avoid the scattering embers. He could not afford to take any risks right now. Soon Knil would recover and attack again… in fact he was already doing so. All Link could manage was to jump into the air over the grey slash, getting himself close enough to his opponent to slash down.

Their weapons clashed and both of them were thrown back. Link immediately followed it with a quick attack, cutting through Knil's arm before the grey sword could be brought back. He would have continued with a stab, but the embers were scattering from the new wound and forcing him to retreat. An unearthly grimace on his face, Knil lunged forward, blade attacking again and again. Against the assault it was the most Link could do to defend himself, taking a step back every few blows. Soon-

When the blade swept forward again, it was followed by grey energy. The blow hit him and immediately launched him backward into the air. Wringing the numbness out of his arm, he managed to land on his feet and skid to a halt… directly next to the dais. Knil glanced toward him sharply at the same instant the boomerang slashed through the air, slamming into his face and sending his head jerking backward.

Immediately Link turned, grabbing the last Shard and fitting it into the empty space. It was a tight fit, but when he tried to readjust it perfectly he was struck from the side by pure agony. When he crashed into the wall and collapsed to the ground his eyes were still swimming with strange grey shapes. Where was Knil?

Abruptly he knew the answer to his question, but it was too late. Knil was looming over him, sword in hand. It was his other hand, however, that attacked; the fingers swept through the injury at his side and sent embers covering Link's body. He screamed in pain and dropped further to the ground.

"Not so immune any more, are you?" Knil mocked. He hesitated the next second as he realized Link was laughing softly.

"They hurt," he said softly, getting to his feet and looking at the embers burning into his skin.

"Of course! They're erasing you from existence! That means you're going to die!"

"That means I'm actually a hero." Link's blade cut a large gash in Knil's shoulder. It sent a spray of embers into the air, but he was already past him, sprinting toward the dais. Roaring in anger, Knil whirled and sent a horizontal wave of grey. His target was forced to jump to the side, well away from the dais. When he landed, however, his eyes made it clear that things were just getting started.

A second later Knil launched himself across the room, blade flying. As Link dodged away, he realized there was a pattern to the attacks. They were targeting not his hands, but his wrists: probably intending to break the bracers there. That could probably be used… Link began to circle slightly, giving him more room before the assault pinned him to the wall.

Knil struck over and over, grey flecks flying from his wounds as he raged on. His opponent tried to sidestep again, but he easily anticipated the movement and slashed forward, drawing a slight cut in the green tunic. Suddenly out of space to run, Link found himself up against a wall and with the grey blade flying straight for his face.

All he could manage to do was raise his sword awkwardly, the impact sending it falling out of his hands. Another blow was immediately following, so he raised his arms in front of him in defense. Perfect. Knil's face split in a grin and he stabbed forward, shattering the bracers and drawing a line of blood from Link's arms. Too late he saw that his opponent was also grinning and his foot was moving.

His kick was clumsy but good enough. One boot pushed the blue rod up into the air high enough for his free hands to grab it. They were still stinging from the attack, but it didn't matter. Link gave a loud cry and poured everything he had into the mystic weapon. Magic had always been his weak suit, but that could not matter. He needed to win.

Ice covered Knil's arms first and began to expand over his body. Falling back in horror, he struggled until his legs were frozen to the ground. Link continued to flood the air in front of him with the cold magic, sweat beading on his forehead and instantly freezing into tiny crystals. Just before the ice closed over his face Knil turned and looked directly in his eyes, pure hatred burning within.

Then he was encased in ice and it was over. The rod dropped from Link's hands and clattered to the floor. His hands were limp and weak, his body felt drained of all the magic it had possessed, but he forced himself to move. To bend to the ground and pick up the sword.

With the skeletal blade in his hands, Link made himself move forward, swinging with everything he had. He hacked at the ice over and over, biting through and into frozen flesh. There was sound coming from his lips but he barely realized it, putting himself fully into the attack. It would all be over soon. Very soon. One of his blows lashed across Knil's face, gashing through the eyes and making grey shards fall to the ice. Next was the thrust, ending everything.

A frozen scream halted his advance for one second and then the ice exploded. There was an inferno of ice shards and blazing grey embers in front of him, raging around Knil. He was standing on his feet, unhindered and with his face turned up. As Link looked on in shock, the face dropped down to stare at him. It had no eyes, only holes in which grey embers smoldered. The fierce wind blew some of them away, but the hatred did not diminish.

Grey light flashed forward, sending him falling backward. Through the agony flashing in his eyes, Link could only barely see Knil give the rod an angry kick, sending it flipping down one of the hallways and vanishing inside the darkness. This took only a second and then those terrible eyes were fixed on him once again. The previous embers might have eventually stopped burning, but he had a bad feeling these would consume him entirely.

He leapt backward across the room, creating as much distance as possible between them. Knil followed him at a resolute pace, arm rising to launch another wave of grey. This one Link ducked, snagging his boomerang off the ground. It had failed to return last time, but it had done some damage and he would take any long range weapon he could get at the moment.

When he hurled the boomerang, even he lost track of its movement. Somehow Knil jerked his head to the side, avoiding the attack without slowing his advance. But in that second Link was upon him, strike only barely deflected. He attacked again and this time the impact almost threw him from his feet, but two blows was long enough. Over Knil's shoulder, he could see the boomerang flying back and picking up speed-

And then it was still, held between grey fingers. Without ever taking his eyes away from Link, Knil brought his hand from behind his head and held up the boomerang between them. The wood began to splinter and then shattered, a few blue sparks shooting into the air before dying entirely. The pieces fell to the ground, away from the burning eyes.

Several paces away, Link suddenly could not be far enough. Knil's sword was already moving, and the swath of grey it sent grazed his cheek. The force of the attack almost spun him around entirely and knocked him to the ground, but he managed to retain his balance. Immediately he jumped away, skidding until the back of his feet hit the wall. He gasped for breath, looking up at his opponent turning toward him methodically.

But then Knil began to run, sword held at his side in both hands. Seeing an opening, Link charged in the opposite direction, holding his sword in the inverse position. They met and struck, blades flashing past one another before they halted on opposite sides.

Link grinned and glanced over his shoulder, seeing another shower of embers break from Knil's side. Had he managed to avoid getting hit entirely? For a moment he thought so, but then he felt a slight cool breeze at his side. It seemed as though Knil's blade had cut part of his tunic and ripped through his pouch, but he was uninjured. Except… the halves of the golden feather suddenly gleamed in Link's eyes, fizzling out as they drifted toward the ground.

Eyes widening in horror, he turned to find Knil already running at him, face split in a terrible burning grin. His arms numb at his sides couldn't possibly defend against another blow. Instead Link jumped backward, but he barely got off the ground. Though the sword slash just missed his stomach, the grey wave that exploded from it caught him head on and flung him across the room. When he struck the opposite wall he remained for a moment before falling to the floor in a heap, his entire body smoking slightly.

This time they agony did not go away, only lessened. He could still feel small embers burning their way through his skin. When he tried to smother them, they only scorched him further. It was just as Knil had said: they were erasing him. Already his body refused to move as he commanded it, barely jerking to its feet and remaining there. His mind was becoming fuzzier, grey creeping into the edges of his vision.

Even in halting just before him, Knil sent a scattering of embers into Link's body and making him scream in pain. He struck back with a miserable blow, desperation fueling a final attack. The blade was shattered, falling in pieces as Knil's strike broke through it and continued. It was slowed enough that it did not hew him in half but instead dug into his shoulder just below the neck, instantly drenching his tunic in blood.

Those eyes… Link tried to turn away from them but could only watch as the terrible face continued to grin, forcing the sword further into his body. With each slight movement of the blade new waves of pain wracked his body and his arms felt weaker and more drained. This was the end.

"Your death is nigh." Knil's voice had become ghastly, embers falling from his lips with every word and his eyes still smoldering with a terrible grey. He pulled out his sword roughly and drew back for the final blow. "Links may be destined for victory, but _I_ am destined to slaughter you. No matter how much you may deny this, it is the truth."

Finally the horrifying face was removed from his sight, Link's eyes dropping closed as he lost consciousness. Even with his eyelids shut, all he could see was grey, consuming all before him and shooting lances of pain into his head. Endless grey, spreading over everything…

Green. The color spread across his vision in an instant and when he opened his eyes it was all he could see. Everything moved in slow motion, Link's body moving almost against his will. Somehow as the grey sword flowed toward him he was moving forward, faster than he had thought possible. There was no thought, only the realization of what he had to do.

He turned horizontally, grabbing Knil's hand as it swept to kill him. His other arm shifted, smashing an elbow into his opponent's chest. As the body fell backward, showering embers, Link grabbed the sword dropping from grey fingers. For a split second everything caught up with him, but Link threw it all aside. One final blow.

* * *

At the edge of the elevator, Light abruptly shivered and his eyes opened wide. He looked over his shoulder and saw a ghastly visage. Bits of armor and cloth hung from the bloodied body, whirling in the wind along with the tattered cloak. One fist was clenched tightly, magical power burning around it as it moved. The eyes were dark, so terribly dark…

Ganondorf's fist smashed into Light directly, driving him into the marble wall and breaking through it. The body that landed did not move, light reflecting softly off the white of the tunic. Somehow on his feet, Ganondorf let his arms hang by his sides and rest. Every part of his body screamed in agony, yet he was grinning. He was alive. He was alive and it was over.

* * *

Pain like he had never known echoed through Knil's mind. For several seconds he could see nothing, then sensation returned. He was kneeling on the floor of the temple and everything was strangely silent. Slowly he looked down and stared at his own sword plunged through his heart, disbelieving. There was no pain, just a strange emptiness. His hold on reality was slipping and he felt himself being pulled away into nothingness.

"No," he gasped, desperately grabbing the blade. It bit into his hands and sent further embers scattering to the ground, but he didn't care. "Goddesses! Save me! Aren't I your champion? Wasn't I supposed to destroy them? Aren't you Gods? This isn't supposed to happen, my destiny is to kill them… my destiny…"

"Enough." Knil turned sharply to look across the room. Link smashed his hand down on top of the last Shard, locking it into place. In that instant Knil and his sword shattered into grey embers that hit the ground, already fading from existence.

There was still terrible pain, but Link was beyond caring. The Shards before him had fused into a single triangle, glowing darkly. Somehow the darkness turned into light and it began spreading, washing over everything. It smashed through his body, actually lifting him into the air, and shredded through the ceilings and floor. The dais itself was reduced to dust a moment later.

Yet somehow there was no pain. The grey embers in his body were gone and even the blood stains on his tunic had vanished. Instead of hitting the ground, which had long since been consumed, he fell through, dropping away into nothingness. With a weary smile, Link dropped his arms and let himself fall.

- - - - -

This is the last chapter before the epilogue. The ending seemed to come quickly for me, but I imagine it has been a somewhat longer road for my readers. As always, I like to leave my final chapter of the story free of notes, so I'll finish my comments here. Did I succeed in getting anyone to think Ganondorf would die, even for the briefest of moments? I certainly tried hard, but it's probably a futile effort in heroic fantasy.

I have long wanted to write something set in the Legend of Zelda universe. It was some of my first fanfiction, actually, the stuff even less fit for consumption than what I have on my account. In all honesty, I had much more epic stories planned; Altair is a remnant of hundreds of thousands of words that will never be written. Yet I think this story captured something worthwhile.

It is almost certain that this will be my last story posted on this website. I still think fanfiction is a great exercise for writers, a way to stretch your imagination and see what you can do with pre-established resources. But I'm in a different phase of life now, and I don't see how I'll have time for writing that isn't for publication.

The epilogue is still to come in another two weeks. I struggled with how to execute it and I'm deeply unhappy with the final scene. However, all of you will get to see characters reach their personal resolutions and it is definitely the thematic ending to the story. There are dozens of notes I feel that I hit right, somehow. Hopefully it will be a satisfactory conclusion for all of you who have been following the story to the end.


	29. Shattered

Epilogue: Shattered

He was in the middle of fighting when the light consumed him, taking everything and washing the world clean. It had only been several Moblins, a battle any of them could have fought. Even the soldiers behind him would have been able to win, but some of them would probably have died in the process. Now it was over and they were alive. That meant something.

No part of him doubted that it was truly over. His mind had been clear for some time after he had spoken to the strange man in black, but as the others moved ahead and accomplished things that were beyond him he had been dropping further and further into depression. But as soon as the Shards were in place and the Sacred Realm began to dissolve it was as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He closed his eyes and surrendered to it, letting himself fall through worlds.

Then his feet were touching the ground. There was no pain in his leg, which had been torn by claws and blades and now felt completely whole. He opened his eyes and saw his Hyrule around him, gaining rich color as his sight recovered. This was the kingdom he had fought so hard to defend. Perhaps on the scales of the universe he was not the greatest, but he was the only hero this world had.

Ahead of them, he heard familiar sounds of monsters, wandering through the forest. Not quite like his own, probably still here from one of the other worlds. Still, they were just monsters. As he drew his sword, the man began to grin. They were going to regret coming here. Sword in hand, Link charged.

* * *

The dark reflections throughout the palace suddenly began to dissolve, light pouring in as if a thousand windows had been opened at once. All of the room's surfaces were transformed into mirrors of light that grew in intensity every moment. Vincent winced and threw up his hands to protect his eyes, but realized almost immediately that would not be enough.

Everything around him was cracking and breaking apart, the air itself burning with light. Even with his eyes winched closed all he could see was white. Opening them, he forced himself to look at the room that now seemed to be crumbling into nothingness. Din had picked herself up, but she was on an island that was decreasing in size.

This was the end, one way or another. Vincent tried to move in her direction, but the floor gave way under his feet, collapsing into fragments that were consumed by the light in an instant. His wife raised a hand, trying to reach out to him, but as the light grew brighter they were being thrown further and further apart.

Something swept past them, moving so quickly that it could not be seen. A dark wind slashed through the area, curling around Vincent and somehow propelling him in the nothingness. Din was moving in the opposite direction so they ran into one another, then wrapped their arms around each other as the white encompassed everything. It seemed to shatter, he had a terrible sensation of falling, and then suddenly all was silent.

His eyes were blinded for several seconds by the light, forcing him to blink rapidly in an effort to recover. In his arms Din seemed unharmed but in a similar condition. Around him, he could hear soft noises beginning to intrude where before there had been a deathly silence. Trees and birds… natural noises he had not heard in a very long time. Even before his eyes recovered enough to see the clearing around them, Vincent smiled. They were home.

"We're back," Din whispered softly, pulling herself to her feet by his shoulder. "I guess they did it."

"But we can only hope all the others survived," Vincent pointed out grimly. "Cid or Link probably placed the Shards, meaning Shiro must have succeeded as well, but Linkina and Vio and everyone else in the battle could have died. It looks as though we won, but I have a bad feeling we won't be able to go back to the Sacred Realm. Not knowing leaves a bad taste in my-" Her fingers gently touched his lips, cutting him off.

"They'll be fine. They're like you, after all." He looked at her for a moment, watching the serene expression before eventually smiling as well.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." He took a deep breath and just listened for a moment before beginning to walk in the direction of the house. Din moved alongside him, eyes closed and clearly dwelling in the seasons for a moment. Even his senses could tell that order had been in some way restored. The disturbing feeling in the bottom of his stomach was gone for the first time in what felt like years.

"This world is closed," Din finally said softly. "I can no longer sense anything beyond it and I'm already forgetting what it felt like."

"It seems pretty clear that we're supposed to return to our lives. But it was a rather enjoyable diversion, all things considered."

"It feels good to be back." As they entered the field surrounding their home Din sighed. Though nature had begun its work swiftly, everything was still a mess. Returning some of the earth to its proper place would have to happen by hand, most likely. "Well, there's no doubt it all happened. Not the best souvenir, eh?"

Vincent only smiled. That would be a lot of work, but it was work for another day. As they walked he slipped his arm around his wife's waist and she leaned against him, resting her head slightly on his shoulder. It was very little time before they were across the remainder of the field and inside the house.

As he had many times before, he took off his sword and equipment and set them by the door. Unlike all those times, they felt far heavier than in the past. Just as he was about to turn, he felt Din's arms encircle him from behind.

"One of the only things I always regretted was that I never got a chance to fight alongside you," she murmured into his back. "Fighting together was exhilarating. I'm very glad this gave me that chance. But right now I just want to be your wife again."

It was his turn to twist and embrace her. The weeks of travel had made her hair tangled, but he didn't care. As they moved together he looked down to stare into her amber eyes for a moment before kissing her gently. When his legs bumped up against the side of the bed he broke off and smiled slightly.

"Unfortunately, I've been fighting and running for the past several hours. What I really want to do right now is sleep."

Din laughed softly and brushed some of his hair away from his face. "Yeah, sleep sounds good to me too. There's always the morning." She and Vincent fell onto the bed and lay there only a moment before falling into a deep rest.

* * *

By this point the end was in sight. Most of the monsters were fleeing or putting up resistance that was swiftly being put down. Commanding soldiers like these was an honor; they obeyed swiftly and efficiently. When she went back to her own world she would have to see about developing a similar order among the knights of Hyrule.

For the moment, her only objective was to end the battle with as few casualties as possible. Linkina ducked just beneath a thrusting spear and then killed its bearer with a backhanded slash. Victory would soon be theirs, but as always there would be a cost. Fortunately, she reflected as she moved toward the next opponent, that cost was negotiable.

When light began to overwhelm everything her first instinct was to try to defend herself, but that proved completely impossible. Fortunately, the light flowing around her from every side was not harmful. In fact, it felt like nothing at all, as the sensations of the ground and the air faded away.

Most likely this meant it was over and she was being sent back to her home. Just in case, she kept her eyes firmly shut so she would have her vision as soon as possible when she arrived. Somehow she still saw a brief ghost of someone, as if from an impossibly far distance. Had it said her name?

Link. Not Linkina or any other derivative. As the light faded she gave a slight grin, realizing that things would soon be back to normal. Soil and grass formed under her boots, imparting a sense of finality and peace. Hyrule was clearly in order and the manipulation of reality had been ended. The disturbing climate around her was gone entirely as if it had never existed. Her only regret was that she hadn't gotten a chance to say goodbye to them.

But for now she was back home and it was time to return to the others.

* * *

He was running his sword through a Moblin's chest. He was deflecting several spheres of flame with his shield. He was rescuing a soldier that was nearly crushed by a Dodongo. He was trying to knit his last form back together, but it like all the others was consumed. Light flooded through his bodies, overwhelming them and dropping them into an abyss of white.

And then he was one. Vio saw the world through only one pair of eyes and he breathed a deep sigh. The sword was still on his back, and he knew he could grasp the hilt any time he desired, but for now it could rest there. If all the dimensions of Links were now at peace, surely his own land was of no concern. As always, when the battles were won and the quests accomplished, he could return home and life could resume its normal gentle course.

Before he moved from the clearing, he looked down at himself. Was his tunic green, or did it seem more like a shade of red, blue, or purple? His eyes seemed to be playing tricks on him, because he could not tell. Nor did he care.

* * *

All of the others were standing. The reflections in the walls, floor and ceiling were all on their feet, unmoving but not falling. So he must be standing too, somehow. His war was over and all he could do was stand as his blood dripped to the floor. There were worse ways to die.

But then the reflections were gone and he was falling. Yet he wasn't dying. There was so much light that his other selves vanished and then the floor gave way, falling into nothingness. Though the brilliance seared his eyes and mind, he barely noticed the pain. His breaths no longer came ragged and painful, nor did his muscles hurt with every movement. Had he been able to see, he was sure his body was once again whole, though he could feel the tatters of his armor hanging around his shoulders.

Slowly white gave way to black and he was standing in a desolate field. Home. Ganondorf gave a barking laugh and shook his head, examining the surroundings after inspecting himself. Such a miserable place. It was perhaps not was terrible as the world in which a Link had fallen, but it held far more memories.

The soothing darkness was broken by a flicker of light, making Ganondorf turn sharply and stare. Not far from him Light's body lay on the ground, white tunic flapping around it. Staring at the corpse, he could not move even to blink. A thousand times he saw the body rising, knitting itself back together or just getting up as a decaying skeleton and moving toward him with that terrible grin. Somehow even under the clouds and in the dirt the tunic was pure white.

It might have been years or seconds, but eventually the time ended. The body in the tunic began to crumble as if made of dust. All of the particles blew away, winking white before vanishing entirely. Alone, the garment was caught in the wind, lifted into the air and carried away. Somehow it never caught on a rock or tree, sliding through the air before vanishing over the horizon.

Victory, but what had he won? There were surely survivors remaining in the land. After all of the events that had transpired, he was more than capable of seeking them out. Perhaps it would be possible to form them into a new community.

Yet the rebuilding would take a dozen lifetimes and even then he doubted Hyrule would completely escape the taint Light had left. At most he could hope to see a few saplings begin to grow, reach a point where the people could eek out a miserable living. Faced with the remainder of his life, Ganondorf nearly fell backward, lying in the soil and not rising.

That was when he heard voices, speaking from far away. It was the scarcest whisper in his ears, but his mind immediately latched onto it. Even as his hands came up and he dropped into a fighting position, he desperately hoped it was not an enemy.

Had it been, he would have been unable to do anything. For a moment the Geurdo king froze as he recognized the figures emerging from a lower craggy area. Geurdo? Yet they were not wearing the exact garb of his people, but a similar uniform that he recognized from not too long ago. Nabooru led the group, smiling as she saw him and increasing their pace. Others rushed about, apparently calling to the others and gathering them on the bleak plane, but it was all just a swirl of motion to him.  
"This is your world?" Nabooru asked softly, looking up at the sky. He nodded numbly.

"Why are you here?"

"I do not know." She glanced over at him, almost as if guilty, and busied herself brushing the hair away from her face. "Before we could end the battle, everything gave way and we were falling. For a moment I could feel us returning to our own world, but then it was…

"I'm not sure I can explain it. Though all of the others agree we couldn't see anything but the light, I still want to describe it visually. It was as if we were all moving toward a great door, but before we arrived someone closed it. Then we were all falling sideways and somehow we were here, scattered over a wasteland. From what I have been able to gather, most of the survivors are here and we may find more."

"This is strange indeed." Ganondorf folded his arms and frowned in thought, glad for the opportunity to engage his mind. "Are you unhappy?"

"Are you joking?" Nabooru answered immediately. "You felt how evil our world was. This one may be as miserable, but I can tell it was never completely conquered. There may be some hope here. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we hope we can create it with you."

"Perhaps…" He avoided her gaze and sighed, returning to the devastation around him. Though he was no longer alone, he could see the future and it made him shudder. This task before him was too great; it would leave him a drained and broken man at his death. Others were meant to give life and receive happy endings, but that would never be his lot.

Instead he merely made several hand gestures, beginning to give his orders. "The first matter will be finding shelter and food for this many people. We are not far from a cave I used as a hideout, but the rations that remain will not go far. However, I suspect if we sent scouting parties spiraling from camp we can come across larger stores. Water may be more difficult, but I will locate my old maps and plan from there."

He turned swiftly and moved in that direction, what remained of his cloak fluttering behind him. Already his mind was setting itself to the task that could not be finished. But before he could begin a soft voice stopped him.

"It's unbelievable, isn't it? So many heroes, so many worlds…"

"Yes," he breathed, not looking back.

"For whatever it is worth, Ganondorf… you're a Link as far as I'm concerned." There was a long pause, then he walked away, faster than earlier. Just before he got out of earshot he glanced over his shoulder.

"Thank you."

* * *

The monsters fled in horror, scrambling down the corridor as if their lives depended upon it. Which they did, given that the last members of the group were being systematically cut down by arcs of magic. But abruptly the floor in front of them no longer existed, fragments of stone dissolving in an all-encompassing light. Behind the group, Shiro paused in surprise as the world gave way.

Everything around him dissolved and he found himself floating in empty space. Just himself, not the destroyer he had been moments before. Somehow the mask had been separated from his face, now floating before him. Floating away.

No. Shiro stretched out a hand to grab the mask, but his fingers tipped the edge and it began slowly drifting away. Would it be lost forever between worlds? Destroyed with the Sacred Realm? He could hope that it would merely end up on the ground not far from him once he returned to his own Hyrule, but he had not gotten this far by wishful thinking. But it was beyond his reach and would soon be lost in the light.

For a moment he blinked, eyes overwhelmed by the light. Then somehow he was holding the mask in his outstretched hand. In the second his eyes had been closed, he felt as though he saw someone approach and hand him the mask. He had felt no one and it hardly seemed possible, yet the smooth, cold reality was in his hand.

Shaking his head, he returned the mask to its hidden pocket over his heart. At that time he returned to the ground and his world slowly revealed itself around him. His body, which had been numb since the light exploded, suddenly breathed again as if the blood was circulating through sleeping limbs. As always after using the mask, he felt surprisingly fresh but a bit raw, as if flames had been poured through his body.

It seemed that he wasn't far from the castle, which was a pleasant thought. Beginning to walk, Shiro calculated the quickest route through town. Most likely the others would be very interested in the news of resolution. Even the shortest path would take at least some time, however, so he pulled his Ocarina from his pouch and put it to his lips.

Soon the notes were heralding his arrival in the streets. Most of the citizens only nodded and smiled, but those that looked did not turn away. He merely nodded in response to their nods, not breaking his melody. Let his presence offer them whatever joy it could. There had been no reason to complicate their lives with the battles of worlds and there was no reason to do so now. Only a small group of children had begun following him by the time he reached the castle gates, so he waved farewell to them and entered.

As always, the gardens were surprisingly quiet before he came. It was not a pleasant silence, more like the pause between lengthy speeches. But as little as he liked it, this was an important place to him. So much had begun in the central courtyard and that was where he needed to go.

His music had gone ahead of him, so that when he rounded the corner to move through the tunnel to the courtyard everyone was looking and waiting. There were a number of officials, including the always irritating minister of finance, as well as some representatives of other nations. If this was a coincidence, it was a poor one. If not, this had gotten out of hand.

None of them were the reason he was here, however. Zelda stood at the end of the courtyard, staring down through the window. As he entered she turned to face him and smiled just slightly. A controlled, lifeless smile befitting a future ruler.

"Have you come back in truth this time?" she asked. He let the final notes die in the air before returning the instrument to its place, then nodded. By this point he was in the center of the forming semi-circle of officials. She was only three paces away, but that was ever so far.

"The battle is won, yes," he answered dutifully. "With the threat to our world neutralized, I can return to considering the safety of Hyrule. I hope that I will not be leaving again for some time."

"I am glad you are back."

Shiro was glad his attention was drawn from her almost sad expression by one of the politicians nearby. "Actually, there is a border issue brewing and we have urgent need of you to-"

His sentence ground to a halt and then broke down entirely. Every one of the politicians stared at Zelda, who had thrown herself at Shiro and now wrapped her arms around his neck. From their position they couldn't see each other, but he raised an eyebrow nonetheless and whispered in her ear.

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"I know _exactly_ what I'm doing," she answered mischievously. "I really am glad you're back." After a moment Shiro smiled and embraced her as well. For once, he was glad too.

* * *

"Whoa, what's going on?" Hero jerked his head around wildly as the light began to break through the temple around him. Where were Din and Vincent? Shouldn't they know what was going on? But he could no longer see anything of the temple except for a few crumbling pieces and then he was falling.

He smacked into the ground on his back and immediately cried out in irritation. "Ow! Seriously, can't you send us all back a bit nicer?" Rubbing his back as he got to his feet, Hero examined the area where he had fallen. Yup, he was back in Hyrule, apparently safe and sound.

Well, nothing to do but head back to the castle. It had been quite an adventure. He'd even managed to get a kiss from some weird marble version of Zelda, so maybe he could try for the real thing again. After all, he'd played a major role in the ultimate victory of all the Links everywhere. That had to be worth something.

As the castle came into sight, he felt a twinge of something in his chest. Regret? Loss? It was as if something had been taken away from him that he couldn't identify. He was probably just bothered by the fact that after so much adventuring he would be back in the boring old palace. Hero stuffed it as far down as he could and hurried as he walked toward the palace, where Zelda was waiting.

"Princess!" he called cheerfully, flipping his sword around an unnecessary number of times before returning it to his side. "I am victorious over the forces of evil from all the other worlds! It is a lengthy tale of daring and-"

"Where have you been?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips. "The evil armies have already tried to steal the Triforce! I had to go get it back myself! Not that you were ever much help in the first place…"

"But what about my lengthy tale of daring and-"

"Oh, why do I even talk to you?" Zelda threw up her hands and turned back into the palace, followed by a pouting Hero.

"Aw, come on, Princess. I saved all reality, doesn't that deserve a kiss?"

"No! And if-" She abruptly cut off, staring upward. "Look! There are Moblins climbing up the tower!"

"Really?" Hero pulled his sword as they began to run. "Alright, time to take out the bad guys! …um, but is Ganon still around?"

"I don't think so," Zelda answered. "He wasn't in the underworld when I went and got the Triforce back. But it seems his monsters still have the Triforce of Power, so we still need to stop them. You can't get off the hook that easy, buster!"

Hero shrugged and began to grin. "Well, at least I still have a job!"

* * *

For several seconds after the light consumed him Cid continued to walk forward, but then he realized the futility and stopped. All the world had crumbled and he was suspended in endless white. So that was it, then. It had taken Din, Shiro, or Link longer than he had expected, but they had apparently succeeded. That or this was the precursor to the violent death of all of them. Fifty-fifty.

After a moment of suspension in the light he dropped, falling backward into nothingness. Around him, the last pieces of the Sacred Realm faded. There was no one else visible, none of the monsters or soldiers or even Zelda. Kind of fitting, actually. Cid folded his arms and continued to fall, watching the blinding whiteness through narrowed eyes.

It was almost over, he realized. Pretty soon he would find himself in Hyrule or in hell. Just before the light began to recede, however, he had a sense of darkness. Someone was standing before him, as little sense as it made given that he was falling backward, and gave the briefest of salutes before the sensation was gone.

Landing heavily on the ground, Cid narrowed his eyes even further and made out the world around him. Hyrule; looked like he got lucky. Of course he would probably have to deal with some of the remaining monsters that had gotten thrown here and everything was in chaos, but that wouldn't be too hard. If all went well he could avoid the others and take them out on his own. Best case scenario he could avoid the castle entirely and make his way to some random corner of the kingdom.

"It's good to have you back, sir!"

No such luck. Cid groaned and glanced over at the knight, standing stiffly at attention. Part of his helmet was torn away, but underneath he was unharmed and smiling. This was a victory, he supposed. "Yeah, yeah, I'm back. Now shut up about it and let's get to work."

* * *

As the light receded Zelda found herself standing on a street at the edge of a small town. It had been a strange experience, being torn away from the Sacred Realm and cast through emptiness to this world. None of it registered as magic to her, nor did she think there was anything she could have done to stop it. She had learned long ago to not mess with things she couldn't change, and this was apparently one of those.

Looking around as she walked, she eventually identified it as one of the small communities not far from Hyrule Castle. A decent but not particularly important place; no significant exports but paid their taxes and provided standard building materials. Kingdoms were made of places like this.

Perhaps a better question would be why she was here specifically. Zelda put little stock in destiny, and she doubted this had much to do with anything like that. Perhaps it was a random placement based on metaphysical laws; she did think she wasn't far from where the doorway to the Sacred Realm had once stood. But at the same time she couldn't make any assumptions about the nature of such things.

She paused for a moment, a sign hung above a door catching her eye. Just a local bar, but she felt like the name was wandering in her memory somewhere. Drawing her cloak a bit tighter around herself, she pushed the door open and went inside.

A group of Hylians around a table barely glanced up from their cards; a few drunks gave her unpleasant glances; most of the patrons just glanced as the door opened and then looked away; the bartender began to dry another cup methodically. As usual, no one recognized her as the Queen of Hyrule, which suited her just fine. Being in this place was bad enough without any recognition and subsequent political fallout. She couldn't even give a good excuse as to why she was here because she didn't know herself.

Only one man failed to react, a man slumped at the end of the bar and gripping his mug without taking a drink. Slowly she approached, observing the usual dull brown tunic and average-looking sword. Without speaking a word she sat down next to him, a smile toying with one corner of her mouth.

"Come here often?"

"Shut the hell up, Zelda." Cid drained his drink and slammed the mug down on the bar, not quite enough to crack the wood.

"Good to see you're dealing with the country's alcohol excess problem so quickly. I don't know what we would do without you."

His only response was to jerk his thumb over his shoulder. In one corner of the bar two large thugs lay, obviously unconscious and looking as though they had been severely beaten. No one bothered to look at them and they had apparently been shoved to somewhere they wouldn't be in the way.

"Yes, there will be a lot more of that type," Zelda sighed. "With both of us gone with the army, things likely destabilized significantly. The knights will probably start reporting scattered monster attacks from the survivors. All of that will have to be handled soon or we may have a minor revolt on our hands. …I don't think we can do it without you."

Cid looked up sharply, but Zelda's eyes were downcast on the bar. After a moment he raised his fingers, a slight gesture that managed to catch the bartender's attention. He refilled the drink in complete silence and quickly retreated to the opposite side.

"Can we absolutely confirm they succeeded?" Zelda asked. Cid shrugged, taking a swig from his mug.

"From what Ulrira said, I think things would be a lot worse if our enemies got their hands on the Shards. No, I'm guessing things came together one way or another and we all got shuttled back to our own worlds. Did you sense anything from Vincent's group or from Shiro?"

"I thought I felt the elements shift, which I believe was how Din transported the Shard to the temple quickly. Beyond that I can't be completely certain, as not all magic is known to me and I was somewhat occupied by other concerns at the time. But given that we are now here, I think we can assume it arrived."

"Quite a few of the soldiers dropped into the woods not far from me," Cid mentioned off hand. "I've sent them back to secure the castle and search for any stragglers from the Sacred Realm."

"Make sure at least a small contingent goes to each guard location so that a military presence is provided. Without it the people get restless. I judged this situation was important enough to gather nearly all forces, but that won't be a popular decision and we'll have to deal with the fallout."

"Yeah, yeah." Cid took several gulps from his mug and set it down heavily. "I'm going to make a sweep of Hyrule and take out any larger monsters. I still have the Ice Rod, by the way; it showed up after all the light. So I'm taking it, pretty much no matter what you say. While I'm at it you might as well give me the Fire Rod so I can drop it in a volcano or something."

"Off adventuring to run away from things?"

"What else?"

Zelda didn't answer for a long time, idly drawing triangles on the bar with one hand. "If… if you need a base of operations, the castle is available. With all the crap you gave me to do I never moved out all your things and I don't think I'll get around to it any time soon."

It was Cid's turn not to answer for some time. "Been sleeping on the ground too long anyway. Sure, whatever. And if," he stopped to take another swallow from his mug, "if you need me to make an appearance and say some random morale-boosting things, I guess I really don't have a choice."

Neither of them spoke for some time. The sounds of the bar were muted around them, a meaningless buzz. Both of them ignored the noise and each other. Finally Zelda lifted a hand to order a drink.

* * *

The light faded, moving away from him like a ship departing for another shore. He doubted that he would ever see it again. As the invading light retreated he became aware of soft sand under his back. Slowly Ulrira opened his eyes and found himself lying on his back at the edge of a beach, resting in the fine white sand. Overhead there were faint sounds of seagulls, breaking over the continual sound of the waves sliding over the shore.

It was like waking up from a long dream. The air in his lungs felt unusually fresh and everything was bright and vibrant. One could almost believe this world was the dream and the other reality, but he did not indulge himself in such thoughts for long. He recognized this place; he was home.

Ulrira slowly sat up, letting the environment soak into him. Not far away his boat was moving up and down in the waves; it was not far off shore but tied to a stake by some invisible hand. It was not where he had left it before all this began, but it looked very natural, as if it had always been there.

Part of him could almost believe that none of it had happened except in his mind, a strange facsimile of reality that passed away as he awoke. Even his body was untouched by the strain and dirt of the battle. Yet he knew this was untrue. He had stood on many shores as deeply real as the sand now beneath him. His brothers were truly living beyond his world, enacting their own quests and completing their own stories. In this one he had played a part, but now it was time for them all to take separate chapters.

Finally he got to his feet, taking another deep breath full of the sea. This would have been an excellent time to play his harp, but that had not returned from his journey. It was time to make a new one.

* * *

It was a desecrated clearing, the grave in the center sitting abandoned with the earth before it overturned and scattered. Something was missing, something that reduced the scene to no more than a lump of rock in the middle of a group of trees. Even this meaningless arrangement was barely moving, set in time.

For just a moment everything was dominated by a brilliant light, then all was as it had once been. Pure silence, a calm that settled over everything. The grave rested peacefully in the center, undisturbed and unworn by time. For the briefest of moments it was as if dark steps moved past the base, but then there was nothing.

* * *

The city built itself around him, brilliance fading into paved streets and skyscrapers breaking out of the white expanse. He had been holding his breath without knowing it and now gasped for air. Though the atmosphere felt dirtier than he remembered, it was filled with familiar smells. When he had last stood in his own world he hadn't been able to sense it, but now he recognized its unique character around him.

It was all finally over. He had ended it with his hands, though he hastened to correct that plenty of others had been involved. Part of him expected to be home with everything exactly as it had been. Thugs from school would still be waiting to beat him and his mother would be getting impatient for the meat she had sent him to get. He had lost the rupee bills a long time ago, of course, and would have to invent an explanation for it, because they would never believe him.

But this fantasy evaporated almost instantly. It was colder than it had been when he left and the buildings were slightly different. He couldn't begin to count how long he had been gone, but it was too long. The punks would be long gone and his mother would have long ago called the police and eventually fallen into despair.

He began to run, picking up speed as he oriented himself and sprinted for his house. Along the way he passed a man on a horse and ignored the angry calls aimed at his back. His parents didn't need anything else to make their life more complicated.

Worse thoughts began to cloud his mind and he was still blocks away. What if they had moved? He had heard his father complain about his job and his parents had argued long into the night about what was best for the family. Could they have tried to escape the tragedy of his loss by vanishing? The sight of his home completely abandoned was foremost in his mind, looming over everything else.

Thoroughly distracted, he almost didn't see the large boys before he nearly ran into them. Seeing a beefy arm extended to hit him in the face, he skidded to a quick halt and glanced at them. Good to see some things hadn't changed at least. Part of his mind noted that he had reached over his shoulder as if for a sword and was mildly disturbed.

"Well, well," the leader began, cracking his knuckles while the others began to surround him. "Come back for the beating you ran out on before? I don't know what that was, but it looks like it's your destiny to get clobbered."

"What the hell are those?" one of the thugs demanded, jabbing his shoulder. "Is this some kind of renaissance fair? Or is it one of those nerdy conventions you like?"

Link looked down at himself and blinked. Everyone he had lived with for so long had been wearing clothes like these that he hadn't thought about them in a long time. Seeing their t-tunics and pants, he realized just how bizarre he must have looked. After thinking for a moment, he realized he didn't care.

"So are you ready to get creamed, punk?"

"I don't have time for you," Link answered simply, looking up and into the taller boy's eyes. "Get out of my way."

For several seconds the other froze, eyes widening. When Link moved forward, he shifted aside, jaw still slack. The others started to follow him or inspected their immobile friend, but it was too late. Link was already gone, down the street and turning a corner toward his house.

Other than those three, he hadn't seen anyone he recognized. None of the neighbors seemed to be outside nor was there anyone else on the streets. It was probably just a coincidence, but he couldn't force terrible images out of his mind. Earlier, the worst thing he could have imagined was his parents grounding him. Now, there were far worse horrors that continually clawed to the surface.

On some deep level, this would be the most terrible thing possible. To have won but lost everything that actually mattered. But this was a war without destiny, after all. Nothing said that he would have a happy ending.

Finally his house was in sight and there was a light in several of the windows. Dark thoughts whispered that it could be someone else, but they were overwhelmed by a surge of hope. He ran to the door and struggling with the handle several seconds before realizing it was locked. Gathering himself and trying to smooth down his hair, he rang the doorbell several times and waited.

The door opened just a crack, then someone rushed out at him. Before he realized it his mother had her arms around him, nearly cutting off his air. Link only smiled and put his arms around her back. Screw anyone that might see.

"Link, Link…" his mother murmured, eventually parting with him enough to look in his face, though her hands still clutched at his shoulders possessively. "You're alive. I can't, can't believe you're alright. Where have you been? We were so worried about you…"

"I'm sorry, mom. I couldn't exactly call to check in. It's a long story."

"Come inside! We shouldn't remain out here for long." She dragged him inside the door and was soon locking it behind them. He barely noticed, letting the inside of his house sink in. Everything was reassuringly modern and familiar. If they hadn't rearranged his room in his absence, though his mother tended to do that anyway, entering it would be like a breath of fresh air. But before he could think about that his mother was pulling him into the kitchen and making him sit down, rushing to pour him a glass of water.

"Thanks." It tasted surprisingly good. Even if his body was whole, his throat was terribly dry. In retrospect he realized just how good it was that he had been healed, because otherwise his mother might have had a heart attack on the spot. He smiled with the glass still obscuring his lips.

"We called the City Knights so many times," his mother recounted, reaching across the table to grip his arm tightly. "They couldn't find anything except a few boys who said you had disappeared. We thought you had been kidnapped or lost somewhere and hurt or-"

"Mom, it's okay now. I'm okay." Her fingers were still digging into his arm, but she seemed further from tears. At this point the last thing he wanted to see was his mother crying.

"Not long after you left the Bureau of Magic said there was some kind of natural disaster and that just made everything worse. Then there was a resurgence of monsters and the president declared a high alert and I was sure you had been killed. They canceled school and everything has been so hard…"

She continued talking and he let her, but Link's mind was still stuck on the fact that school had been canceled. It was almost certain to start again, as he had a feeling the threat was over, but that wasn't what struck him. After the fate of worlds had been at stake, he was unbelievably glad to hear something like school being canceled. In another situation he might have laughed at the absurdity.

"Link," his mother was saying, "please tell me you won't ever leave like this again. Can you promise me that?"

He smiled and had to answer with the truth. "Sorry, mom; I can't promise that. I'm a Link."


End file.
